IThe term “schizophrenia” was first introduced in 1911 by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler and comes from Greek Schizo (which means “to split”) and phren (which refers to the mind). The term is now used in psychiatry to describe severe and persistent mental disorders whose causes are still poorly understood. The negative social perceptions and associated stigmatization consequences are well known and harmful, so those affected are likely to suffer more from them than from the disorder itself.

The stereotypes and misconceptions that circulate about schizophrenia are still too often propagated by the media, which associate schizophrenia and split personality or duplicity, schizophrenia and violence/crime, or schizophrenia and extreme dangerousness. Society has therefore constructed a social representation of people suffering from these disorders that is particularly derogatory and far removed from reality and their experiences.

On the form, Jim Van Os – Professor of Psychiatry at Maastricht University in the Netherlands – is convinced that it is necessary to change vocabulary to change the way of thinking about schizophrenia and invited us to join us in 2009 Remove this term to qualify it. In France, a change in terminology is necessary given the egregious misuse of the word, the ignorance of its definition and its harmful consequences for the people affected.

There is fundamental debate about the reliability and scientific validity of the term “schizophrenia”. In March 2012, members of the International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis (ISPS) voted overwhelmingly to change the name of their organization from the International Society for the Psychological Treatments of the Schizophrenias and Other Psychoses. The two main reasons for the change were that the term “schizophrenia” was stigmatizing and unscientific.

Involvement of users and maintainers

Japan is the pioneer country of this approach. In 2002, the word “schizophrenia” – seishin bunretsu byo (“torn illness of the mind”) – was officially replaced by togo shitcho sho (“integration disorder”). The process initiated by the user families in 1992 lasted ten years. Since then, the proportion of patients informed of their diagnosis has doubled, from 36% in 2002 to 70% in 2004.

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