Conference paper

THE DIAGNOSIS "SCHIZOPHRENIA": PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Hans Rittmannsberger ; OÖ LNK Wagner-Jauregg, Linz, Austria

Abstract

Schizophrenia is one of the most important diseases in
psychiatry. The diagnostic criteria, first formulated more than
100 years ago, have since undergone multiple changes. While
the disease was originally named "dementia praecox" by Emil
Kraepelin, the term "schizophrenia" was coined by Eugen
Bleuler soon afterwards. DSM-III changed diagnostic criteria
dramatically in 1980, relying especially on Kurt Schneider's
first rank criteria. These changes were also incorporated into
ICD-10. Diagnosis of schizophrenia thus became much more
reliable. Yet there remain many problems to be solved: the
demarcation towards other psychotic disorders remains
arbitrary; the diagnosis is based on multiple, quite different
symptoms, enabling two patients being diagnosed with
schizophrenia without sharing a single symptom, yet further
important symptoms (e.g. cognitive impairments) are not even
covered by present diagnostic criteria; until now it was not
possible to formulate diagnostic criteria reflecting underlying
biological processes or to find a reliable biological marker.
These methodological uncertainties are in stark contrast to the
persistence of the stigma which accompanies schizophrenia
despite all efforts. For the forthcoming publication of DSM-5
and ICD-11 further revisions of diagnostic criteria of
schizophrenia are to be expected.

Keywords

schizophrenia; diagnosis; DSM-5; ICD-11

Hrčak ID:

106331

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/106331

Publication date:

20.12.2012.

Article data in other languages: german

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