Biomarkers cannot define the boundary between the normal and the pathological.

Pantazakos, Themistoklis · Br J Psychiatry · 2025

editorial · Level V

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Abstract

Biomarkers alone cannot resolve psychiatry's diagnostic challenges, particularly the boundary between normal variation and pathology. Diagnosis should prioritise the subjective, phenomenological experiences of patients rather than solely relying on biological evidence, emphasising a framework centred on suffering, debilitation and societal impact.

Medical subject headings