Dr. Joel Paris's Overdiagnosis in Psychiatry takes a much-needed look at the dangerous epidemic of unnecessary or incorrect treatments. The last 30 years of psychiatry have seen the development of a system of classification aimed at establishing greater scientific credibility. Unfortunately, the current categories are based entirely on signs and symptoms rather than on causes, which remain unknown. This has inevitably made diagnosis imprecise and uncertain. The result is that well-meaning professionals can have problems separating psychopathology from normality, can be unduly influenced by diagnostic fads, and can ultimately wind up prescribing treatments that do more harm than good. Paris examines prominent examples of overused diagnoses including major depressive disorder, ADHD, bipolar-II disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and PTSD.About the Author: Joel Paris was born in New York City, but has spent most of his life in Canada. Dr. Paris' research interest is in borderline personality disorder. Dr. Paris has 193 peer-reviewed articles, and is the author of 17 books and 40 book chapters. Dr. Paris is an educator who has has won awards for his teaching.