Critics of Psychiatry have many criticisms of the field of Psychiatry.
Scientific Review
Validity of Psychiatry as a Science
Some critics argue that, while the majority of Psychiatry research lacks much scientific evidence, Psychiatry is still a science.
Anti-psychiatry advocates argue that Psychiatry is a pseudoscience; as the fundamental basis for Psychiatry (mental disorders) lack biological testing.
Psychiatric Diagnoses
Critics of Psychiatric diagnoses argue that Psychiatric diagnoses:
- Do not use and require any objective analysis.
- Lack scientific research to justify the criteria for the disorders
- Do not hold discernible consistent criteria.
- Most psychiatric disorders are diagnosed through subjective analysis by a psychiatrist.
Psychiatric Drugs
Critics of Psychiatric drugs argue that the efficacy of psychiatric drugs are equivalent to a placebo; and that psychiatric drugs are more harmful due to side effects. This criticism aligns with some studies that argue psychiatric drugs lack long-term studies and a control group.[1][2][3]
Chemical Imbalance Theory
The chemical imbalance theory is a theory which suggested that a lack of serotonin causes Major Depression Disorder. It was generated by pharmaceutical marketing campaigns for antidepressants around the 1970s. The chemical imbalance theory has since been disproved.[4] Major Depression Disorder has also been found to have scare objective biomarkers and biological models.[5]
In response to Psychiatry critics, Psychiatrists Andrew McIntosh[6], Christopher Davey[7], and Genetic Epidemiologist Cathryn Lewis[6] have responded to the study by claiming that antidepressants still work regardless if the chemical imbalance theory is wrong.
References
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmdd-treatments-uneffective - ↑ Andrea Cipriani, Toshi A Furukawa (2018). Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Lancet. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32802-7 [HUB]
- ↑ Arif Khan, Walter A. Brown (2015). Antidepressants versus placebo in major depression: an overview. World Psychiatry. doi: 10.1002/wps.20241 [HUB]
- ↑ Joanna Moncrieff, Ruth E. Cooper, Tom Stockmann (2022). The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence.. [PDF] Molecular Psychiatry. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01661-0 [HUB]
- ↑ Mark Horowitz, Joanna Moncrieff. Prospective biomarkers of major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Molecular Psychiatry. doi: 10.1038/s41380-019-0585-z [HUB]
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Andrew M McIntosh, Cathryn Lewis (2022-07-22). "Depression: low serotonin may not be the cause – but antidepressants still work" The Conversation.
- ↑ Christopher Davey (2022-08-02). "The chemical imbalance theory of depression is dead, but that doesn’t mean antidepressants don’t work" The Conversation.