Allen Frances, M.D.: His recent book calls multiple personality a hoax, but his previous book vouches for the validity of three cases. Why?

Since this blog has criticized the lack of relevant credentials of authors of two books skeptical of multiple personality, I want to emphasize that the real issue for credibility is not credentials, but relevant expertise.

Dr. Frances certainly has excellent credentials. Indeed, he was eminent enough in psychiatry to be made Chair of the task force that wrote the 4th edition of the psychiatric diagnostic manual, DSM-IV (1994). However, as I have explained in past posts—such as the one on the mental status examination—most psychiatrists have never learned how to make this diagnosis if there is a typical presentation, and will make it only if there is a “classic” presentation, which is atypical and happens rarely.

Be that as it may, what can explain the contradiction between Dr. Frances’s two books?

Recent Book

“MPD [multiple personality disorder] is probably no more than a metaphor…MPD presented a dilemma for me in my work as chair of…DSM-IV…I felt it was a hoax…and certainly not a legitimate mental disorder. For better and worse, I chose not to impose my view…even though I believed [multiple personality] was complete bunk (1, pp. 131-132).

Previous Book

“We do not deny altogether the existence of Dissociative Identity Disorder [Multiple Personality Disorder] and together have seen what we believe to be three genuine cases…” (2, p. 287).

1. Allen Frances, M.D. Saving Normal. New York, William Morrow, 2013.

2. Allen Frances, M.D., Michael B. First, M.D. Am I Okay? New York, Touchstone, 1998/2000.