Dr. Joel Paris' Overdiagnosis in Psychiatry takes a much-needed look at the dangerous epidemic of unnecessary or incorrect treatments in contemporary psychiatry. The last 30 years of psychiatry have seen the development of a system of classification aimed at establishing greater scientific credibility. Unfortunately, the current categories are based entirely on signs and symptoms rather than on causes, which remain unknown. This has inevitably made diagnosis imprecise and uncertain. The result is that well-meaning professionals can have problems separating psychopathology from normality, can be unduly influenced by diagnostic fads, and can ultimately wind up prescribing treatments that do more harm than good. Paris examines prominent examples of overused diagnoses including major depressive disorder, ADHD, bipolar-II disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and PTSD. This new edition expands on Dr. Paris' argument and offers a new section on the link between aggressive psychopharmacology and current diagnostic practices, as well as on transdiagnostic approaches to classification of mental disorders.

Joel Paris is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University.

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