I suppose in a lose way one can argue this is a "soft" science. But it really lacks too much "knowing" and is plentiful in opinionated. The tests preformed on meds is conducted in a scientific way and can be easily repeated and understood. If the study and tests were done in a scientific way with enough participants we can actually see the effectiveness of meds compared to the placebo. For example, buspar has a hard time beating the placebo on most patients then any other med for anxiety, the tests and results are scientific. but enter psychiatry and it is still the preferred med for anxiety

The pharmaceutical branch of psychiatry is indeed very scientific! Unarguable there. Psychaiatry seems to do in every which way with the lastest wind of doctrine which currently happens to be cognitive "science". I'm sure Fraud considered dream interpretation a science too, just as my younger brother considers mastering video games a science and art. But those terms are used loosely.

I am not trying to or wanting to down play the importance of psychiatry, but it's not a a hard science by any definition IMHO. For every psychiatric article you can find that you like, or makes sense to you, there are others you won't agree with or won't make sense. Also I can not help to feel the influence of being politically correct as a strong influence. specially in the DSM.

Again I think once we start focusing on the symptoms and why they happen and how to treat the symptoms, rather then focusing on labels and diagnosis which are wrong just as often as right. For example, there is no scientific tests available to prove any of the diagnosis actually exist. All we know for sure is that the symptoms exist.

What makes a person bipolar? Mood swings? Really? Everyone has mood swings to some extent. Where do we draw the line, and who says and why? Is there really such a thing as borderline? What test is there? Other then quizzes online. I think we guess and are opinionated more then actually substantiate and all the journals and reports and essays merely relate more to religion or philosophy then to science.

Psychiatry has always been a fine line between medicine a actual science, and philosophy. I think numerology is a fair comparrison, as it also lacks scientific hard data to prove it's claim but not short of answers

Peace