A New Foundation for Psychiatry?

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Robyn Bluhm, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Philosophy and Lyman Briggs College
Michigan State University
Recorded January 27, 2016

Can neuroscience revolutionize psychiatry? This is what the National Institute of Mental Health hopes and why it has introduced its new Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). These criteria are to replace current diagnostic categories (as set out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM) as the way to identify different patient groups for research purposes. The criteria reflect different domains of functioning, whether interpersonal, cognitive, or affective; studies should aim to understand the underlying neural mechanisms. While the NIMH is clear that these criteria are to be used for research, not clinical, purposes, the ultimate purpose of RDoC is to provide a foundation for a completely new system of psychiatric classification. In this talk, Dr. Bluhm will briefly describe the origins of RDoC and situate it in within the broader project of biological psychiatry. Dr. Bluhm will then consider some of the assumptions underlying RDoC and their possible ethical implications.

This lecture was part of the 2015-2016 Bioethics Brownbag & Webinar Series, presented by the Center for Ethics.

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A New Foundation for Psychiatry?

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