Scott discusses reader comments on his 'Crazy Like Us' book review, covering topics like PTSD, cultural influences on mental illness, and cross-cultural prevalence of schizophrenia. Longer summary

This post discusses several comments on Scott's review of 'Crazy Like Us', touching on topics like PTSD in ancient vs modern soldiers, cultural influences on mental illness, childhood sexual abuse, and cross-cultural prevalence of schizophrenia. Scott reflects on these comments, providing additional context and sometimes revising his views based on new information presented. Shorter summary

Scott analyzes survey data to test the claim that rejection sensitivity is a key feature of ADHD, finding limited support and emphasizing caution in adopting such ideas without formal research. Longer summary

Scott Alexander investigates the claim that rejection-sensitive dysphoria is a key feature of ADHD using data from the Slate Star Codex survey. He finds that while people with ADHD do show slightly higher rejection sensitivity than those without psychiatric conditions, it's not as dramatic as some claim, and ADHD actually shows the lowest rejection sensitivity among the psychiatric conditions studied. The post critiques the lack of formal evidence for this claim, discusses potential Forer effects, and emphasizes the need for caution when adopting new ideas about psychiatric symptoms, especially those spread in patient communities without formal research backing. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander recounts his frustrating attempt to conduct a study on a bipolar disorder screening test, highlighting the excessive bureaucratic hurdles that ultimately led to the study's abandonment. Longer summary

Scott Alexander describes his frustrating experience trying to conduct a study on the validity of a bipolar disorder screening test. He encounters numerous bureaucratic hurdles from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), including issues with consent forms, data security, and patient privacy. Despite his best efforts and those of his colleagues, the study is eventually abandoned due to the overwhelming regulatory burden. Scott reflects on how this experience has made him skeptical of the current research approval process, arguing that it disproportionately hinders small-scale, independent researchers while favoring large institutions. He concludes by expressing hope for reform in the scientific research process to make it more accessible and efficient. Shorter summary

The post explores a new model for understanding mental disorders as networks of interconnected symptoms rather than discrete diseases with underlying causes. Longer summary

This post discusses a new way of understanding mental disorders proposed by Nuijten, Deserno, Cramer, and Borsboom (NDCB). Instead of viewing psychiatric conditions as discrete diseases with underlying causes, they suggest viewing them as networks of interconnected symptoms. The author explains how this model can account for various aspects of mental illness that are difficult to explain with traditional models, such as comorbidity, the effects of life stressors, and the polygenic nature of mental illnesses. The post also considers some limitations of this approach, particularly in explaining conditions like bipolar disorder and the rapid effects of treatments like ketamine. Despite these issues, the author finds the network model compelling as a way to understand the complexity of psychiatric disorders. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explains how psychiatric conditions like ADHD can be both over- and underdiagnosed simultaneously, due to statistical quirks in diagnosis and population prevalence. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the counterintuitive phenomenon of simultaneous over- and underdiagnosis in psychiatry, using ADHD as an example. He explains how, even with a highly accurate psychiatrist, it's possible for the majority of people diagnosed with a condition to not have it, while the majority of people who actually have the condition remain undiagnosed. This is due to the interplay between disease prevalence, self-selection for evaluation, and the inherent limitations of diagnostic accuracy. The post demonstrates this concept using a hypothetical scenario with ADHD, and then suggests that this phenomenon likely applies to other conditions such as depression and pain medication prescriptions. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews a study using Implicit Association Tests to measure suicidal intent, expressing both excitement for the research direction and skepticism about its methodology and practical applications. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a 2007 study by Nock & Banaji that uses Implicit Association Tests (IATs) to measure suicidal intent in psychiatric patients. The study matches categories of self/other with images of self-harm/non-self-harm, claiming to distinguish between healthy controls, those with past suicidal ideation, and past suicide attempters. While Scott is excited about research in this area, he expresses skepticism about the study's methodology, particularly its use of self-harm images instead of actual suicide imagery. He also questions the study's ability to predict future suicide attempts and its potential usefulness in real-world scenarios. Despite his reservations, Scott sees this as a positive step towards using IATs for practical applications beyond social justice projects. Shorter summary