Opinion|Reader’s opinion
Recently, there has been a wealth of research that challenges the prevailing explanatory models of psychiatry for the mechanisms of mood disorders. If the explanatory model does not correspond to reality, it must be replaced.
Our article Erkki Isometsä, Professor of Psychiatry, responsible for current care recommendations, criticizes bipolar disorder (HS 29.1.) and psychiatrists Noora Scheinin, Hasse Karlsson and Jarmo Hietala (HS Opinion 30.1.). Both writings state that our hypothesis is not new and does not introduce anything new to the industry.
That is not the case. Our article has undergone a very rigorous peer review before being published in a state-of-the-art science series. Prior to the adoption of the article, it has been carefully read by at least two anonymous peer reviewers who are experienced researchers in their field, as well as the editor-in-chief of the science series, who is a professor of neuroscience. They would not have accepted the article for publication if the hypothesis we presented as new had already been published in some English-language scientific series in the past and if sufficient evidence had not been presented to support it.
I also have the suspicion that I have encouraged people with bipolar disorder to give up their medication. Vice versa. Both in our article and in my interview I find that many drug treatments are effective for bipolar disorder and reduce patients ’risk of suicide. However, according to our hypothesis, these drug therapies do not address the root cause of the disease.
Recently, there has been a wealth of research that challenges the prevailing explanatory models of psychiatry for the mechanisms of mood disorders. If the explanatory model does not correspond to reality, it must be replaced.
So we need a new frame of reference, a new theory of bipolar disorder. From this premise, we have developed a model that is consistent with the findings. As stated in our article, the model is hypothetical. Personally, of course, I think that’s right.
In any case, it has now been published and clearly measurable forecasts can be derived from it. The validity of our model is weighed against the accuracy of these predictions. Further research will show whether I am right or wrong. Speculating in the columns of daily newspapers does not do that.
Markus J. Rantala
researcher, docent of evolutionary psychology
University of Turku
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source https://pledgetimes.com/reader-s-opinion-new-research-data-has-been-accumulated-on-the-onset-of-mood-disorders/
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