Do DSM definitions have any effect on the stigma associated with many mental and behavioral disorders?
I think the stigma remains a big problem for psychiatric disorders, and I’m not sure any diagnostic system is going to help that. I think that most of the argument has been around gender identity issues; that’s a very controversial area. I think that in the end it’s going to be research that establishes a genetic and biological basis for the disorders we treat. And that will minimize the stigma attached to them. That being said, even though there’s a strong genetic component to alcoholism, there’s a lot of stigma. How strong is the connection between DSM revisions and the R&D and marketing tactics of pharmaceutical companies? Certainly, individual members of the DSM task force have received drug company support and revealed those conflicts to the American Psychological Association (APA), which oversees the appointment and consulting process. I think you’re quite right that it’s important for drug companies to go after the particular implications of new or different diagnoses. It happen
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