What should we call patients with schizophrenia? A sociolinguistic analysis

Abstract

To avoid identifying patients with a class while classifying disorders, DSM-IV specifies that it will not use such expressions as a schizophrenic but instead will use the designation an individual with schizophrenia. This review aims to explore the sociolinguistic connotations of various designations used for patients suffering from schizophrenia. An analysis of these designations from six perspectives, using conceptually different sociolinguistic paradigms, systematically supports the DSM-IV comment. Further research is required into the social impact of the language of psychiatry.