There Is No Cure for Existence: On the Medicalization of Psychological Distress

International audienceThe current model of biological psychiatry assumes that mental suffering results from cerebral/neuronal disturbances yet to be identified. Under this model, the lowering of diagnostic thresholds or the invention of new disorders are surprising given that there have been no major etiological findings for decades. No clinical or epidemiological research demonstrates biological causes for problems defined as mental disorders, no more than research validates the numerous categories that supposedly describe them. The diagnostic spiral leads to the increasing prescription of drugs, sometimes for life, even if they have not been shown to have any substantial positive effect on any measure of “morbidity” for mental disorders. Today, the lives of children and adults are punctuated by the consumption of psychotropic drugs prescribed by physicians who are pushed to diagnose, treat, and control their symptoms. We aimed at showing that, despite these inarguable failures, the scientific and media discourse gives the public a warped view of reality where progress in biological psychiatric research is unceasing. Therefore we call for a paradigm shift in mental health: critical thinking, openness of mind, and analysis of the scientific and institutional discourse must be encouraged among all practitioners because their ethical commitment to their patients demands it