One of the chief complaints many people have with psychiatry is that definitions and diagnoses for many mental illnesses are relatively broad and often seem subjective. Those who practice hard sciences such as physics or geology see psychiatric guidelines as open to interpretation in such a way that they can easily be conformed to situations that may not warrant them.
In the medical community, it's not unusual for physicians to feel the same way, though the acceptance of psychiatry is far higher now than it ever has been. Most healthcare providers accept psychiatric care as part of an important suite of patient care. Yet this acceptance does not mean that all diagnoses or views within the mental health community are widely accepted.
Case in Point: Somatic Symptom Disorder
One controversial new diagnosis is a broader definition in the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders called "somatic symptom disorder" (SSD). Until the new DSM-5 takes effect, SSD is defined specifically as worry about symptoms that are "medically unexplained" - what most of us would call hypochondria (separate from Munchausen syndrome).
Under the new definition of SDD, any patient who worries about his or her medical condition, whether diagnosed or not, can have SDD. While this may seem legitimate, since some patients diagnosed with serious illnesses often do worry excessively about their medical condition, this new definition would mean that roughly one in five cancer patients (millions of people worldwide) would now also be diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.
This will add to care costs and may actually worsen the situation for the patient. Those who oppose this new, broader definition of SDD are concerned that it will lead to over-diagnosis and inappropriate treatment when the focus should be on the medical problem already diagnosed, not on a new addition.
Advocates point out that many patients, especially those suffering from chronic problems, could benefit from this added diagnosis, which may give them access to added treatments or therapies to help their anxiety levels and improve overall health.
What do you think? Are some definitions for psychiatric illnesses too broad or too narrow?
