Abstract
Objective: My purpose is to critically evaluate psychiatry's current approach to the diagnosis of depression.
Methods: I have closely examined trends in diagnosing depression, especially since DSM-III, and have considered alternative options.
Results/Conclusions: Psychiatric taxonomy is currently based on invalid nosological premises that have worked as a straitjacket for conceptual progress and related biological and psychopharmacological research. A fresh approach that replaces nosological analysis with the concepts of functionalisation and verticalisation is essential.
