boy diagnosed with autism when he just needed antibiotics

[Jonathan Edwards]

As for the initial story itself, I wonder why this potential cause of mental health problems is better known in the US, than the UK. It is unfortunate, to say the least, that a child and his family had to suffer for several months before the correct diagnosis, in this case a biomedical one, was found.

We have no reason to think this is the correct diagnosis. It has been made by a paediatrician who seems to have left mainstream healthcare and runs something called an e-hospital. The website lists PANDAS as a common problem when its existence is in doubt and if it does exist it is probably rare. This means red flags to me. PANDAS is better 'known' in the US because there are more private physicians ready to sell fringe diagnoses. I think it is as simple as that. UK paediatricians are well aware of the label but I suspect are honest enough to admit that they are rarely if ever in a position to diagnose it with confidence.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Reducing disability benefits to motivate those with schizophrenia, and mental illness could be seen as a remedy for treating those patients suspected of malingering.

That does not make sense. If a person is suspected of malingering then they are not suspected of having schizophrenia. If schizophrenics are inappropriately being considered as malingerers and not schizophrenics that is a simple clinical incompetence. It is not the same as a doctor knowing managing a schizophrenic by trying to motivate them to work by restricting benefits. I am sorry but I would need more reliable information to take this seriously as an indication that schizophrenics are being treated that way as a matter of policy.

 

[DokaGirl]

@Jonathan Edwards

Sorry for the confusion.

Yes, exactly; it was a practise to manage patients by reducing benefits to motivate them to work, "get well", or whatever was deemed a success.

This was a practise, by some psychiatrists, to designate some patients as having temporary disability status, even those with schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder and others. Temporary disability status meant less welfare funds, and periodic reviews, ongoing fear of being cut off, and even worse living conditions due to reduced ability to pay.

Later, government policy did shift to try to reduce temporary disability status recipients' funds to regular welfare levels. This is when advocacy groups stepped in with a more concerted effort to fix this problem.

Prior to this sweeping government policy, this denial of full disability status, and benefits was a practise by some psychiatrists.

Schizophrenics were believed and treated as schizophrenic. However, if they were not percieved as helping themselves, their disability benefits were kept at the reduced step or level, (temporary disability status) to motivate them to "get well". Patients with bi-polar were also treated similarly, as were others.

I hope my explanation clears up the confusion.