Towards a name change of schizophrenia: Positive and Negative Symptoms Disorder (PND)

Stefan Leucht^{1

2}, Deniz S Yurtseven³, Josef Priller^{3

4

5

6}, John M Davis^{7

8}, Jim van Os^{9

10}, Iris E C Sommer¹¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany. Stefan.Leucht@tum.de.
² German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Munich/Augsburg, Germany. Stefan.Leucht@tum.de.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.
⁴ German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Munich/Augsburg, Germany.
⁵ Neuropsychiatry and Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and DZNE, Berlin, Germany.
⁶ Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
⁷ Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago (Mc 912), 1601 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
⁸ Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁹ Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
¹⁰ Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
¹¹ Center for Clinical Neuroscience and Cognition, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.

PMID: 40387871
PMCID: PMC12148976
DOI: 10.1007/s00406-025-02018-8

Editorial

Towards a name change of schizophrenia: Positive and Negative Symptoms Disorder (PND)

Stefan Leucht et al. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2025 Jun.

. 2025 Jun;275(4):963-971.

doi: 10.1007/s00406-025-02018-8.

Authors

Stefan Leucht^{1

2}, Deniz S Yurtseven³, Josef Priller^{3

4

5

6}, John M Davis^{7

8}, Jim van Os^{9

10}, Iris E C Sommer¹¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany. Stefan.Leucht@tum.de.
² German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Munich/Augsburg, Germany. Stefan.Leucht@tum.de.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.
⁴ German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Munich/Augsburg, Germany.
⁵ Neuropsychiatry and Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and DZNE, Berlin, Germany.
⁶ Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
⁷ Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago (Mc 912), 1601 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
⁸ Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁹ Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
¹⁰ Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
¹¹ Center for Clinical Neuroscience and Cognition, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.

PMID: 40387871
PMCID: PMC12148976
DOI: 10.1007/s00406-025-02018-8

Abstract

We propose renaming schizophrenia to Positive and Negative Symptoms Disorder (PND) to reduce stigma, enhance clarity, and align with current diagnostic criteria. The term reflects core symptom domains, is translatable, ICD compatible, and avoids misleading associations. If cognitive deficits should be part of the name, it would be Positive, Negative, Cognitive Symptoms disorder. Stakeholder input and linguistic evaluation are essential for successful implementation and global acceptance.

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References

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Towards a name change of schizophrenia: Positive and Negative Symptoms Disorder (PND)

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Towards a name change of schizophrenia: Positive and Negative Symptoms Disorder (PND)

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