Scott Alexander examines taxometrics in psychiatry, finding that most mental health conditions are dimensional rather than categorical, and discusses the implications for diagnosis and treatment.
Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the concept of taxometrics, which studies whether psychiatric conditions are categorical or dimensional. He explains the difference between categorical distinctions (like humans vs. rabbits) and dimensional variations (like height), and discusses how taxometric methods attempt to determine which psychiatric conditions fall into each category. The post then reviews recent meta-analyses suggesting that most psychiatric conditions are dimensional rather than categorical, contrary to some expectations. Scott reflects on the implications of this for psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, suggesting a move away from binary thinking about mental health conditions.
Shorter summary