A Critique of the Diagnostic Construct Schizophrenia Article

Wong, SE. (2014). A Critique of the Diagnostic Construct Schizophrenia . Research on Social Work Practice, 24(1), 132-141. 10.1177/1049731513505152

cited authors

  • Wong, SE

abstract

  • This article examines problems in the clinical utility of the diagnosis of schizophrenia including reliance on questionable data, arbitrary criteria and categorization, inadequate precision for assessment and treatment evaluation, and omission of information on causal current and historical environmental factors. Some alternatives to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) are briefly considered including continuous recording of individual client's specific problems and goals, and functional assessments and functional analyses. The article discusses how biomedical assumptions implicit in the DSM-5 diverts mental health workers' attention from social adversity factors contributing to the development of psychotic behavior and available psychosocial interventions for this disorder, thereby perpetuating biomedical dominance of mental health services. © The Author(s) 2013.

authors

publication date

  • January 1, 2014

published in

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 132

end page

  • 141

volume

  • 24

issue

  • 1