Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Investigating the Effects of Antipsychotics and Schizotypy on the N400 Using Event-Related Potentials and Semantic Categorization
Published on: November 19, 2014
Acceptable terminology and subgroups in schizophrenia: an exploratory study.
David Kingdon1, Anna Gibson, Yoshihiro Kinoshita
1University of Southampton, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton, SO14 0YG, UK. dgk@soton.ac.uk
Patients prefer alternative terms over "schizophrenia," showing negative attitudes toward the traditional diagnosis. However, concordance on new terms among patients and clinicians needs further validation.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Mental Health Research
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous diagnosis with a long history.
- The term "schizophrenia" carries significant stigma.
- Advances in cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis and psychosocial research prompt re-evaluation of diagnostic terminology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate patient, care coordinator, and psychiatrist attitudes toward the term "schizophrenia."
- To explore attitudes towards proposed psychosocial alternative conceptualizations.
- To assess concordance on terminology among stakeholders.
Main Methods:
- Survey distributed to patients, care coordinators, and consultant psychiatrists.
- Inquiry into attitudes regarding the term "schizophrenia" and alternative psychosocial terms.
- Analysis of concordance between stakeholder-selected terms and researcher-defined terms.
Main Results:
- 63% of patients reported negative attitudes towards the term "schizophrenia."
- Only 19% of patients expressed negative attitudes towards alternative psychosocial terms.
- Low concordance was observed between terms selected by patients, psychiatrists, care coordinators, and researchers.
Conclusions:
- Alternative terms and subgroups may enhance patient acceptability in mental health conceptualizations.
- Further research is required to establish the reliability and validity of proposed alternative terms.
- Revisiting diagnostic language in psychiatry is crucial for reducing stigma and improving patient engagement.
Related Concept Videos
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...
Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Hallucinations
Hallucinations in...
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
