Why Aren’t There Biomarkers For Mental Illness?

Despite major advances in our understanding of the biology of mental health disorders,  there’s no blood test or brain scan that will confirm if you have depression, anxiety, PTSD, or any other psychiatric illness. 

And yet, the American Psychiatric Association recently announced that it will be including biomarkers for mental conditions in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which guides diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. So how close are we to pinpointing the biological markers of mental illness, and what does that mean for diagnosis? It’s complicated. 

Host Flora Lichtman untangles some of this science with psychiatry researcher John Krystal.

Guest: Dr. John Krystal is a professor of psychiatry, neuroscience, and psychology at the Yale School of Medicine.

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