For those of you following the unfolding controversy over DSM-5, the British Psychological Society (BPS), the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK, issued a statement today supporting the Society for Humanistic Psychology‘s open letter to the DSM-5. Excerpts from the BPS statement below:
“The Society recognises that a range of views exist amongst psychologists, and other mental health professionals, regarding the validity and usefulness of diagnostic frameworks in general and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, in particular.
“However, there is a widespread consensus amongst our members that some of the changes proposed for the new framework could lead to potentially stigmatizing medical labels being inappropriately applied to normal experiences and also to the unnecessary use of potentially harmful interventions.
“We therefore urge the DSM 5 taskforce to consider seriously all the issues that have been raised and we would echo the American Psychological Association’s call for the taskforce to adhere to an open transparent process based on the best available science and in the best interest of the public.”
You can read the full BPS statement online.
