Depression Versus Mumps: Continuum Versus Dichotomy?

We often use physical illnesses as convenient metaphors for psychological difficulties, but there is always a bit of slippage in the analogy. In this short video I point out a basic problem in most psychiatric diagnosis: Most mental health challenges sit on continua; they are not "yes-or-no" dichotomies.

Well, fine. So what? This can lead us into trouble when diagnosing, and raises the inconvenient question of the utility of much diagnostic work.