Classification of schizophrenia. Part one: the enduring existence of madness.

The classification of schizophrenia is currently under review in a coordinated worldwide consultation for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD 11) – the standard manuals for psychiatric classification. To understand the issues under consideration, the underpinning foundations of the concept need to be understood. This article, the first of two parts, analyses the theoretical input of Kraepelin, Bleuler, Jaspers, Schneider and Crow in order to delineate the boundaries of current discussions. The second part will analyze the importance of nursing engagement with classification by contrasting it with the harm of not doing so