International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy

The Diagnosis of Schizophrenia: Old Wine in New Bottles [El Diagnóstico de la Esquizofrenia: Vino Viejo en Botellas Nuevas]

Volume 3 Num. 2 - December 2003 - Pages 141-152

Authors:

Víctor Peralta and Manuel J. Cuesta

Abstract:

Diagnosing schizophrenia has been problematic since the earliest clinical descriptions of the disorder, and the existence of basic disagreements in the concept is reflected by the large number of competing diagnostic systems that have been proposed. Given that the ultimate goal of any diagnostic system is to provide insights into the etiology, pathophysiology and treatment of the disorder, it is essential to examine the accuracy of the diagnostic construct. In this report, we analyze a number of clinical models of schizophrenia ranging from historical to present ones. It is concluded that empirical data fit better with a dimensional view of schizophrenia than with a categorical one, and given the continuous distribution of the schizophrenia-related variables, it may be arbitrary where cutpoints are made between schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic psychoses.

Key words:

schizophrenia, psychosis, diagnosis, dimensional models, categorical models

Full Article

More articles in this volume

• [111-140] Schizophrenia: A Conceptual History [Esquizofrenia: Una Historia Conceptual]
• [153-180] “Negative Symptoms”, Schizophrenia, and the Self ["Síntomas Negativos", Esquizofrenia, y el Yo]
• [181-194] The Schizoid Personality of Our Time [La Personalidad Esquizoide de Nuestro Tiempo]
• [195-208] Social and Personality Variables Related to the Origin of Auditory Hallucinations [Variables Sociales y de Personalidad Relacionadas con el Origen de las Alucinaciones Auditivas]
• [209-234] Consciousness Disorders in Schizophrenia: A Forgotten Land for Psychopathology [Trastornos de Conciencia en Esquizofrenia: Una Tierra Olvidad para la Psicopatología]
• [235-250] Etiología y Signos de Riesgo en la Esquizofrenia [Ethiology and Risk Signals in Schizophrenia]
• [251-266] Latent Inhibition as a Model of Schizophrenia: From Learning to Psychopathology [La Inhibición Latente Como Modelo de la Esquizofrenia: Del Aprendizaje a la Psicopatología]
• [267-281] Early Intervention in Schizophrenia [Intervención Temprana en Esquizofrenia]
• [283-298] Psychiatric Rehabilitation for Schizophrenia [Rehabilitación Psiquiátrica de la Esquizofrenia]
• [299-310] Application of the IPT in a Spanish Sample: Evaluation of the “Social Perception Subprogramme" [Aplicación del IPT en una Muestra Española: Evaluación del "Subprograma de Percepción Social"]
• [311-328] Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Psychosis [Terapia de Aceptación y Compromiso en Psicosis]