Explorer #21: Overdiagnosis of Mental Illness with Dr. Allen Frances

The Accent Podcast

Dr. Allen Frances is a Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine. He is best known for serving as chair of the American Psychiatric Association task force overseeing the development and revision of the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Dr. Frances is the founding editor of two well-known psychiatric journals: the Journal of Personality Disorders and the Journal of Psychiatric Practice. During the development of the current diagnostic manual, DSM-5, Dr. Frances became critical of the expanding boundaries of psychiatry and the medicalization of normal human behavior, problems he contends are leading to the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of the "worried well" and the gross undertreatment of the severely ill. Dr. Frances is the author or co-author of multiple books within the fields of psychiatry and psychology.

Dr. FRANCES's BOOKs:

Saving Normal: https://amzn.to/497dxxq

Essentials of Psychiatric Diagnosis: https://amzn.to/494eRBe

FOLLOW Dr. FRANCES ON TWITTER: / allenfrancesmd

SUPPORT THE ACCENT ON PATREON: / theaccentpodcast

TIMESTAMPS

01:25 Changes since Saving Normal

02:30 What is DSM?

06:20 Inflation of diagnosis in children’s mental illnesses

14:10 Pharma advertises mental illnesses directly to people

17:00 Nature or Nurture – the root cause of mental illnesses

21:35 Psychotherapy

25:35 Depressions should not be confused with normal mammalian phenomena

29:35 Addiction to medication and drugs

37:45 Selecting psychiatrist