The Biological Basis of Mental Illness
I just read an article posted on the American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation's Facebook page about a psychiatrist who does not believe people should be diagnosed with disorders such as schizophrenia, bi-polar, depression, and ADHD. He has a couple of arguments, one being that there is no biological basis for these illnesses. The same argument he uses against the biological basis can be used for one. If mental illness manifests because of experience, trauma, etc. why doesn't every family member who had the same or similar emotional experience during childhood have the same diagnosis in adult-hood? Is it just a manifestation of one having more coping skills or not having received a gene which would predetermine they have a specific diagnosis. Then there are twin studies in which twins have been adopted at birth and subsequently separated. Longitudinal studies over the life span of separated twins show higher rates of incidence despite environmental factors not being shar...