Psychiatric group says

'Homosexuality is not

a mental disorder'

New York Times Service WASHINGTON

The

American Psychiatric Association, altering a position it has held for almost a century, decided yesterday that homosexuality is not a mental disease.

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The board of trustees of the 20,000-member group voted instead to categorize homosexuality as a "sexual orientation disturbance" rather than continue to list it as a "mental disorder."

"Sexual orientation dis turbance” was then defined by the association's trustees as a category "for individu als whose sexual interests are directed primarily towards people of the same sex and who are either disturbed by, in conflict with, or wish to change their sexual orientation." However, the trustees went on to say: "This diagnostic category is distinguished from homo-

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'sexuality, which by itself does not necessarily constitute a psychiatric disorder."

The apparent inconsistency in the definition was the subject of questioning by reporters at a conference at the association's headquarters here yesterday.

Dr. Robert L. Spitzer, a psychiatrist at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, explained that "we're not saying that homosexuality is either 'normal' or ‘abnormal.'

"We're saying that homosexuality per se is not a psychiatric disorder," he

said.

Many psychiatrists have held a traditional view of homosexuality as a disease and regarded the best method of treatment as being an attempt to convert a homosexual to heterosexual behavior. If this occurred the patient was considered "cured."

But the effect of yesterday's decision would be to put psychiatrists on notice that some homosexuals have adjusted to their sexual status and do not wish to change.

According to Spitzer, this would encourage many homosexuals who need psychiatric help for reasons other than homosexuality to seek professional help, knowing the psychiatrists would not. necessarily try to "cure" them by converting them to heterosexuality.