DSM‐5 and the ‘Psychosis Risk Syndrome’: Whose best interests would it serve?

Abstract

There are considerable risks associated with including Psychosis Risk Syndrome in DSM‐5, and no obvious benefits for those troubled by at‐risk mental states. There appear to be no obvious advantages for researchers, who already have available perfectly serviceable criteria for selecting participants in research projects. Those with most to gain from the inclusion of this new diagnosis in DSM‐5 would appear to be pharmaceutical companies, whereas those with the least to gain and most to lose would seem to be service users themselves. Hence the Psychosis Risk Syndrome should not be included.

Keywords:

• psychosis risk syndrome
• DSM‐5
• diagnosis
• antipsychotic medication