IQ explains life outcomes bad for psychiatry

Psychiatric research and article are known to use statistics on schizophrenics, and to be citing that in the homeless population many people have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, to a rate of about 45% of homeless people. A psychiatrist wrote that in his site, without mentioning if this is global or national rate of schizophrenia in homelessness, but never mind that. That point is, when there's a much more preferable, much less subjective, much less contrived theory, one should drop one theory for the better theory, as is the case of cognitive science and IQ. The incidence of both homelessness and schizophrenia together can be both linked very reliably with LOWER IQ, or LOW IQ scores.

Arguably people with lower IQ have worse reasoning abilities, inferior problem-solving abilities, and overall severe difficulties adjusting to civilization's reality. The relationship between the three variable[*] can be tricky, but it's quite possible that IQ explains both and has direct and indirect effects on outcomes, and inequality. IQ here presumably underlies all cognition, and all cognitive functions in humans. We can of course claim that a pink unicorn governs reality and all human outcomes, or find other logical explanations, or simply admit that IQ scores predicts life outcomes like homelessness, schizophrenia, and of course comorbidity between other life outcomes (even physical response to certain treatments!). So because both homelessness and schizophrenia have a cognitive source, the correlation between the two can be easily explained by checking IQ scores.

The problem is the ideals of the Enlightenment, which empathically emphasized human ability to over reality and gather knowledge. It's these ideals that gave rise to ludicrous claims in our technological age that science can solver everything, which it doesn't currently, but they did leave a black sheep in psychiatry.

Low IQ has found to be common amongst patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, but there are people with this diagnosis with an above average IQ.
It is a fact that repeated psychotic episodes affects gray matter (like drugs do) and reduces the connections made in the brain. This also leads to lower IQ.

Therefore, the confounding variable you propose is false. There is proven reversed causation. Low IQ doesn't cause schizophrenia, but the other way around.

There's probably a problem with research design or incomplete reasoning there. We ought not accept it as fact. Being "scientific" they start intellectual projects from a universal-rational stand point, and this also tends to equalize between populations, and individuals, otherwise they don't really have a global/entirely universality. Just because of fallacious considerations in diagnosis, probably some logical fallacies with the diagnosis given, it should not be accepted as fact. There are studies that indicate that even before the onset, those diagnosed with schizophrenia had lower IQ scores.

Ah, I see. So the studies that support your opinion are pristine and the ones that don't (such as the ones involving brain scans) are poorly conducted ?

IQ is already questionable to begin with. The average person will have an IQ of 100. This has to be the case. IQs are adjusted up and down to ensure that average remains 100. IQ is measured based on others. Someone with an IQ of 100 now might not be as "intelligent" as someone with IQ 100 about fifty years from now.
Plus, the majority of the world has an iq of 100. That's just how the bell curve works. The odds are exceedingly high for anyone with any type of diagnosis to have an IQ of 100 or lower.

Now to a more problematic insight: people who are experiencing psychosis from schizophrenia or any other cause who are also "smart" will hide their struggles. They know not to respond to what they see and people around then will perceive delusions as jokes. These "smart" schizophrenics are less likely to be found and diagnosed.
Schizophrenics with low IQ don't have this potential. They will believe what they see and respond to it, making them easy to spot and thus easy to diagnose.
This naturally leads to an illusionary correlation between IQ and schizophrenia.

But surely, you could have figured this out by yourself?

"Whatever fits my subjective morality is valid" ? It seems your claims are utilitarian, and and the gist I'm saying irrelevant consideration may contaminate more objective analysis and diagnosis. That fact something is "immoral" or "amoral" doesn't mean it's not true logically.

You've highlighted interesting social interactions and dynamics, and tactics which could prove to be useful or true, but is difficult to generalize, seems anecdotal. But beware of a moralistic fallacy -- that IQ has any impact on our lives makes it emotionally bothersome and terrible and unnecessary for some people, and this includes psychiatry itself with all its' existing research. In terms of academic validity IQ is on par with the theory of evolution by now, and there are detractors to IQ science, much like psychiatry faces the anti-psychiatry movement. Psychiatry in generally inferior to IQ testing.

About "smart" and "stupid" schizophrenics, this is perhaps possible, but not sure this could be generalized from specific cases. But once again this is sort of moralism that because reality works in organized / hierarchical ways, and some win while other lose, than any opposite claims are false. It seems you're morally appalled by the fact that lower IQ's will be found anyway, but not with the injustice, abuse and ridicule, stigma and bother, that people with higher IQ have to suffer and endure. You've almost completely missed the irony, and the point, about the fact stupid people making reality difficult for everyone, and how self-pitying people blame themselves.

Now, it seems this wording is surprising, but anti-psychiatry could be the motive for people with higher IQ to critique the field. For instance, rejecting the "objective" basis of psychiatry, or other intellectual aspects, could be beneficial and deterring. The will for freedom/power/knowledge could be harmed by generalizing people with different human experience together, under that same label, and blanket term.

Where are you getting all these conclusions?
All I said was that your conclusion that is essentially "schizophrenics always have low IQ, therefore low IQ lays the groundwork for schizophrenia" (not a quote) is not a conclusion that can be made, and I provided arguments about why not. I then took note of your response "There's probably a problem with research design or incomplete reasoning there." And I interpreted that as "yeah but who cares if there's schizo's with high IQ and brain scans that tell us other things?"
Which is why I responded as I did.

I never said anything regarding psychiatry and its status. I do find fault with your new statement to directly tie validity of IQ to that of evolution. IQ tests are proven to test only one kind of intelligence which puts only a certain type of thinkers ahead. Perhaps you've seen the image about standardised testing with the different animals that are asked to climb a tree? The issue described in that image applies to the IQ test too. It's why there are several variants of IQ tests in existence and they are only meant to be used as a predicting tool to estimate someone's potential to succeed in a certain field. Plus, IQ can be trained.
As for evolution, there's no debate there. That just happened and keeps happening.

Note how I still haven't said anything about psychiatry. I will say this though: the IQ test was made by a psychologist. You can therefore not claim it is founded in science if you do not accept psychology as a science.

Now to address your perception of my view on the finding of IQs. Note how this will be the first opinion I'm giving as everything before were only arguments pointing out fallacies in your posts. "I agree". People with low IQ make life inherently more difficult and the generalising done based on their behaviour and experiences harms people with higher IQ. I'm afraid it always will be that way, regardless of DSM labels (which I have an opinion on too, I'll get to that). What I pointed out in my previous post is that the majority of the world has low IQ. It's how the bell curve works. I can't change that. 100 IQ is not particularly high and it is where the curve peaks. Specifically, average IQ is between 85 (low) and 115 (ok). Only 5% of the world population scores above 120 IQ and even less above 130 IQ. That 5% simply is the minority and forever will be. Even if I extend high IQ to be closer to the average (let's say 110 IQ), then it's only 20 to 30% of the world population that has a high IQ. This is what I meant when I said it's far more likely to diagnose anyone with low IQ. There's more of them. 70% of the world, according to IQ tests, just isn't very "smart". Only average or below.

So no, I didn't miss your point. I simply didn't address it.
Again, I too am appaled by the stigma and abuse suffered by high IQ people. In fact, I'm appaled by any type of stigma and abuse. I'd appreciate if you do not imply otherwise.

That brings me to the labelling you struggle with.
The DSM is flawed, agree. Diagnosis based on it should be made carefully and critically. This is what clinical psychologists and psychiatrists are trained to do. A lot of people label themselves based on generic behavioural patterns which, when sufficiently destructive, could be symptoms of a bigger problem. This is problematic. Not everyone who hallucinates is schizophrenic. Not everyone who gets excessively mad about small things has a disorder. Some people just need to talk about their struggles amd that's what therapy is for as well.
The DSM needs some fixing for sure though.

There. You got some of my opinions.

I happen to know some of critically important stuff the literature of IQ, fairly well. Sure, most people fall on the "left side" of the bell curve. But this doesn't turn all of them to schizophrenics, but those in the middle of the curve are very well represented populations in the literature or research. I'm not sure the literature is that extensive on the link between IQ and mental health outcomes, including bipolar/schizophrenia and what not. But It make sense that weaker minds, will have worse life/mental health outcomes than stronger minds. This is certainly true to academic achievement.

"Not everyone who hallucinates is schizophrenic." - That's something I've never heard before. Of course, some of them are on drugs, and some experience acute symptoms of Major Depression which includes psychosis and hallucinations. Others have medical brain conditions which influences psychosis. Besides, I've never heard psychiatry say something that hallucinations aren't necessarily psychotic. Can you provide quotes from psychiatry textbooks to support this claim? Even if it's not 100% true, it could just be a generalization that is generally true (according to literature -- hallucinations most of the time is indicative of psychosis). I'm of the impression that even talking to oneself is largely considered as a symptom of some mental illness (of course this is generalization, and of course it's not deterministic).

I tire a little of you pulling my words out of context to judge something I never said. Maybe it's miscommunication so I'll spell it out again:
I never said that all people with low IQ have schizophrenia. I said the opposite if anything. I constantly try to show that the link between low IQ and schizophrenia you made is a link you cannot make.

As for the hallucinations. You've listed most alternative reasons on your own. Some that have been mentioned but I don't know how well researched they are are sleep deprivation and bereavement. Oh, and old age in general, but that's generally associated with a decline in cognitive functions.
Any of those health websites that share symptoms of conditions etc will list these as a potential cause. NHS, Cleveland, Mayoclinic, etc. If you want specific peer reviewed research articles though:
P. E, S.K., Egambarame, V. (2024). Hallucination. In: Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Religious Psychology and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38971-9_270-1
Introduction provides a list of common causes including non-psychotic ones. It's from 2024 so as recent as it can get.

In case you can't open the link:

Hallucination can be a symptom of various psychiatric disorders, or in some, it can be a part of daily life if other causes are ruled out. Hallucination is one of the cardinal signs of schizophrenia, but it is not restricted to schizophrenia. Although a few episodes of hallucination often exclude the diagnosis of schizophrenia, other causes need to be considered. Persistent auditory hallucinations affecting day-to-day activities need to be evaluated for schizophrenia spectrum disorders (Waters & Fernyhough, 2017). Hallucination is often encountered in psychiatric conditions, which include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), personality disorder, and bipolar and unipolar depression. Extreme physiological or psychological stress with sensory deprivation, alcohol, drugs, and toxins affecting the central nervous system like cannabis and central nervous system (CNS) stimulants, medical conditions like acquired deafness and blindness, epilepsy, neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, CNS tumors, and diseases involving the brain stem and temporal and occipital pathways are other non-psychotic causes of hallucination. Hallucination often occurs along with delusion. Hallucination is a way in which delusional ideas may be expressed, or sometimes delusion may develop secondary to hallucination (Kumar et al., 2009).