Abstract
Background:sychiatric conceptualisations of autism have been criticised for a narrow perspective based on an overly medicalised and diagnostic view of the condition. We were interested in exploring the views of psychiatrists when asked to reflect on their understanding of the conceptMethods:In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with six psychiatrists working in the specialist field of learning and developmental disability in the UK.Results:A thematic analysis of their perceptions of autism revealed four main themes: (1) Diagnostic concordance and ambiguity; (2) Threshold of complexity; (3) Autism as an artificial construct; and (4) The socio-relational context of care.Conclusions:While the analysis revealed elements of understanding that matched the application of diagnostic criteria, a more gestalt, contextual understanding of autism was also shown that acknowledged the psychological limitations of diagnosis and its sociological impact. Compared with what we expected to find, a much richer conceptualisation of the concept of autism was revealed.
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