Social Engineering

Concerns have been raised that some of the recently created diagnostic categories in theDSM are driven more by attempted social engineering than by science. Along with the recent surge in the diagnosis of Autism, we saw Asperger's Disorder become one of the newly popular disorders in theDSM-IV series and then saw it disappear in theDSM-5-TR. Using either a Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis (See the "Severity Levels for Autism Spectrum Disorder (Examples of Level of Support Needs)" table at the bottom of theAutism Spectrum Disorder section in theDSM-5-TR) or one of the more recently developed adult diagnostic categories of your choice, review the adequacy of the research base for that particular diagnosis. Address the following and consider the potential for social engineering:

• Make an argument for or against the perception that theDSM-5-TR is based more on social engineering than on science while focusing solely on the diagnosis you have chosen. Be sure to consider the issues raised in the Zur and Nordmarken article.
• Assume that a new medication has been found that dramatically minimizes the negative symptomology of this disorder. Describe the marketing plan you would expect to see developed for selling this diagnosis to the lay public and professionals in the field?
• If a psychologist was hired to participate in the development of this marketing plan, what ethical issues would he or she face and how could they ethically deal with them?