title: Should the label "schizophrenia" be abandoned?
abstract: The term schizophrenia is increasingly contested by researchers, clinicians, patients and families. Mental health users and professionals around the world have started calling for a change of the name, seeing it as stigmatizing and harmful. This paper reviews the literature published so far on the issue of renaming schizophrenia, carefully weighing the pros and cons of the proposed changes. Forty seven papers have been published so far, encompassing editorials, research papers, commentaries to editorials, letters, forum papers and narrative reviews. The advantages of renaming schizophrenia far outweigh the disadvantages. It would reduce stigma and benefit communication between clinicians, patients and families. The most conservative option for renaming schizophrenia would be the use of eponyms since they are neutral and avoid adverse connotations. Renaming schizophrenia is not only a matter of semantics, but also an attempt to change the stigma carried by the present name. Nevertheless, a change will not be useful unless accompanied by parallel changes in legislation, services and the education of professionals and the public.
authors: U.O.C. Psichiatria, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata (AOUI) di Verona and Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. Electronic address: antonio.lasalvia@univr.it.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Lasalvia
authors: U.O.C. Psichiatria, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata (AOUI) di Verona and Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Penta
authors: Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programmes, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors: Norman
authors: N
authors: Sartorius
authors: National Institute for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Henderson
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis; D057545:Social Stigma; D009626:Terminology as Topic
keywords: Concept; Diagnosis; Renaming; Schizophrenia; Stigma