Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Editorial
. 2023 Jul;64(7):977-979.
doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13839.

Editorial: What's in a name? Drawing on the examples of autism and schizophrenia, some reflections on diagnostic labels and their future role in child and adolescent psychiatry

Angelica Ronald  1
Affiliations
Editorial

Editorial: What's in a name? Drawing on the examples of autism and schizophrenia, some reflections on diagnostic labels and their future role in child and adolescent psychiatry

Angelica Ronald. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

Ten years have passed since the release of DSM-5, which brought with it some notable changes in diagnostic labels. In this editorial, the impact of labels, and the changes in labels used in child and adolescent psychiatry, are discussed, with examples drawn from autism and schizophrenia. The diagnostic labels that children and adolescents receive feed into their treatment access and future potential but also to their self-identities. Outside of medicine, extensive budgets and time are spent to test how consumers identify with the labels of products. Diagnoses are not commercial products, of course, but the choice of labels used in child and adolescent psychiatry should remain a priority, in light of their impact on translational science, treatment and on individuals, alongside the ever-evolving nature of language itself.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Arenella, M., Mota, N.R., Teunissen, M.W.A., Brunner, H.G., & Bralten, J. (2023). Autism spectrum disorder and brain volume link through a set of mTOR-related genes. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 64, 1007-1014.
    1. Bleuler, E. (1911). Dementia Praecox oder Gruppe der Schizophrenien. Leipzig, Germany: Dueticke.
    1. Jenner, L., Richards, C., Howard, R., & Moss, J. (2023). Heterogeneity of autism characteristics in genetic syndromes: Key considerations for assessment and support. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, in press.
    1. Kanner, L. (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Nervous Child, 2, 217-250.
    1. Lasalvia, A., Penta, E., Sartorius, N., & Henderson, S. (2015). Should the label “schizophrenia” be abandoned? Schizophrenia Research, 162, 276-284.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources