Investigation into alternatives to psychiatric disorders

Section A
The first part of the review explored what the literature suggests should be the key characteristics of an alternative to diagnosis. It found that an alternative should attempt to de-emphasise biological causation, classify problems, attend to individual experience, be developed in line with the evidence-base and the views of key stakeholders, and serve practical functions. The second part of the review presented six alternative models that have been proposed so far. To identify possible ways forward, the review explored how the proposals might fulfil the various functions currently fulfilled by diagnosis. The review concluded by outlining clinical and research implications.
Section B
The empirical paper explored participants’ experiences of receiving a psychiatric diagnosis and their views about utilising the ICD-11 experiential codes as a possible alternative. Thirteen participants were interviewed, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results outlined six themes, including identifying and characterising the problem, communication with professionals, personal impact, support and recovery, response from others, and implementation. The findings were discussed in the context of current research, and the clinical and research implications were highlighted.