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Mehmet Inonu

CASA Colloquium: "Protest Psychosis: Race, Stigma, and the Diagnosis of Schizophrenia"

Sixty-one percent of respondents in the recent General Social Survey — a national poll that measures American social attitudes and stereotypes — said they believe schizophrenia is an inherently violent disease.

But according to Jonathan Metzel, an associate professor of psychiatry and women’s studies at the University of Michigan, schizophrenia patients are generally non-violent and likely to be victimized.

In a presentation yesterday in Building 110, Metzel clarified a number of common misconceptions about the biological disorder and explained how its definition and social stigma have evolved over time.

This misunderstanding, he said, is deeply rooted in racial tensions. Specifically, Metzel explained, African-American men are seven times more likely than any other group to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. In contrast, they are seven times less likely to be diagnosed with depression and other mood disorders.

Metzel said he has used his research to trace the evolution of the 1950s label of schizophrenia as a “white disease” to its current stereotype.

“Civil rights is a causal factor for the development of ‘negro schizophrenia,’ which included rage [as a symptom],” he said.

According to Metzel, the disease’s definition shifted in the 1950s as racial tensions escalated. The disorder gained its violent reputation and the nickname “The Disease of Them” during this period. Soon after, Metzel said, even medical journals like Disease State Management, Volume II (DSM II) incorrectly listed “hostile” and “aggressive” as symptoms of schizophrenia.

Metzel, whose presentation was a part of the Cultural and Social Anthropology Colloquium Series, cited his study of Michigan’s Ionia Hospital for the Criminally Insane as an example of schizophrenia’s shift from a white disease to a disorder assigned to African American protesters. Metzel said the hospital’s records show that the formerly white mental facility had become 95 percent male and 65 percent African American by the 1960s, and that this change in demographics caused the facility to become a prison.

In addition, according to Metzel, a lack of awareness contributes to today’s misconceptions of schizophrenia. While other psychiatric disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression are familiar to the general public, schizophrenia is relatively misunderstood.

Metzel added that pop culture figures reinforce the confusion surrounding the disorder. He said he has found a trend among rappers, who often cite schizophrenia as an excuse for their violent acts.

“The media perpetuates stereotypes,” he said. “American media perpetuates these myths about schizophrenic violence, while ignoring other victims who sit homeless in the streets or pursue gainful employment.”

Contact Loren Newman at ldnewman@stanford.edu.