Biomedical Explanations of Psychopathology, the DSM , and Essential Necessities for Advancement of Diagnostic Classification: An Essay Review.

The two books reviewed demonstrate convincingly that the etiology of mental disorders calls for the inclusion of multiple networks of causal factors in which psychological and sociocultural influences play a prominent part. Further, the books demonstrate that historic efforts to describe and construct categories that encompass these difficulties rest on false assumptions and are embedded in erroneous and distorting conceptual systems. Numerous enlightened alternatives to the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) system are articulated in both books. Comments and extended suggestions are made on proposals the reviewer judges as providing especially incisive critiques or creative innovations. A framework for building a scientific foundation for integrating psychopathology and psychotherapy also is recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)