title: The spectrum concept of schizophrenia. Problems for diagnostic practice.
abstract: The spectrum concept of schizophrenia posits that a number of psychopathologic states, both psychotic and nonpsychotic, may share some genetic basis with schizophrenia, and may therefore constitute, together with schizophrenia itself, a genetic spectrum of schizophrenic disorders. While this is a valuable and promising research concept, its application to diagnostic practice could broaden the boundaries of schizophrenia to include patients with other conditions, thus rendering a larger population at risk for the untoward effects of the schizophrenia disgnosis itself. This may have already occurred in the Soviet Union, where a diagnostic system derived from a variant of the spectrum concept is used in routine diagnostic practice. The adoption of a spectrum-based diagnostic system should await further research on the boundaries of the spectrum, and more detailed descriptions of confirmed spectrum states.
mesh_terms: D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003863:Depression / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis; D010259:Paranoid Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis; D012106:Research; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014586:USSR