Dr. Frances is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University.  Apparently, the American Psychiatric Association is set to release the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (or DSM-5).  Their findings on what constitutes or does not constitute a mental disorder establish and change guidelines for coverage and treatment.  Even though Dr. Frances believes the field of mental health needs much more attention and investment, he is concerned with the findings of this most recent edition and the damaging effect it will have.  He explains:

Seemingly small DSM-5 changes will make a big difference. Normal grief will become “major depressive disorder,” so that pills and medical rituals will be applied to a person’s natural emotional reaction to the loss of a loved one.

Excessive eating a dozen times in three months will become not mere gluttony but “binge eating disorder.” Forgetfulness in old age will be “minor neurocognitive disorder,” a label encompassing an enormous new patient population (only some of whom are at real risk of dementia) and incurring huge costs of unnecessary brain imaging when there is no effective treatment.

At the other end of the age continuum, temper tantrums will be diagnosed as “disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.” And these are but a few of the many changes in the DSM-5 that will create millions of new “patients,” many of whom would do better without expensive, potentially harmful treatments.

The whole article is the worth the read if you’re interested at all.  I learned a lot.