At issue: will the term brain disease reduce stigma and promote parity for mental illnesses?
The author questions both the scientific evidence and potential effect of the current trend to change the language used to describe certain serious mental illnesses (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar affective disorder) to "brain diseases." It is argued that changing nomenclature will not be effective in reducing stigma unless the treatment and financial circumstances of the seriously mentally ill are improved. Finally, it is suggested that we need to expand our understanding and treatment of "physical illnesses" to encompass the social and psychological dimensions, not narrow our view of psychiatric illnesses.
Luchins
Daniel J
DJ
Department of Psychiatry, MC 3077, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. danl@yoda.bsd.uchicago.edu
D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013240:Stereotyping