Diagnosing Psychological Disorders
Diagnosing psychological disorders involves the systematic assessment of an individual's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to identify the presence of a mental health condition. This process often includes clinical interviews, psychological testing, and observation of the individual's functioning. The goal is to accurately classify and understand the nature of the disorder, which can guide treatment and support.
7 Key excerpts on "Diagnosing Psychological Disorders"
eBook - ePubClinical Mental Health Counseling
Elements of Effective Practice
- J. Scott Young, Craig S. Cashwell(Authors)
- 2016(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications, Inc(Publisher)
...6 Diagnosis Gary Gintner Learning Goals Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to do the following: Describe three dimensions of psychopathology Describe etiological models of psychopathology, including the biopsychosocial model State the major features of the DSM-5 Apply the four diagnostic principles to a case study to arrive at a diagnosis Epidemiological studies over the past 20 years have shown that mental disorders are not only common but also are on the rise (Kessler, 2011; Keyes, 2007). In any one year, roughly one in five individuals will have some mental disorder (Kessler et al., 1994; U.S. Public Health Service, 1999). Complicating the problem is the finding that disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders are appearing at earlier ages (Keyes, 2007; Keyes & Lopez, 2002). According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2004a), these prevalence rates are evident worldwide and lead to significant disability burden as indexed by premature death and years of living with a disabling condition. In the United States, only the costs associated with heart disease and physical disabilities exceed the costs associated with mental disorders (Keyes, 2007). These types of statistics highlight the critical role of diagnosis in identifying these conditions in a timely manner so that effective treatments can be rendered. Simply put, diagnosis is the process of determining whether an individual has some maladaptive condition or mental disorder as manifested by a particular set of signs and symptoms (Maxmen, Ward, & Kilgus, 2009). Symptoms are reports of personal experience (e.g., feeling sad or hopeless), whereas signs are observed behaviors (e.g., crying or talking rapidly). A diagnostic classification system lays out the rules and the criteria for making a diagnosis using a particular constellation of these signs and symptoms...
eBook - ePub- Sidney Bloch, Bruce S. Singh(Authors)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Melbourne University Press Digital(Publisher)
...Under the aegis of the World Health Organization expert psychiatric panels recommended that classifications should be based on explicit rules and definitions, and on separate recording of syndromes and aetiology. A prototype of current criteria was incorporated into the eighth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-8). A more radical innovation was launched in 1980 with the American Psychiatric Association’s third edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). It incorporated three principles: (a) classification according to clinical features; (b) specified criteria and decision rules for each category; and (c) a multiaxial assessment system encompassing psychological, biological and social aspects. Subsequent versions of ICD (tenth edition, 1992, ICD-10) and DSM (fourth edition, 1994, DSM-IV; fourth edition—text revision, 2000, DSM-IV-TR) have retained these principles while introducing modifications. What is a mental disorder? What constitutes a mental disorder? ICD-10 emphasises that: ‘Disorder’ is not an exact term, but … [implies] the existence of a clinically recognisable set of symptoms or behaviour associated in most cases with distress and with interference with personal functions...
eBook - ePub- Naomi Moller, Andreas Vossler, David W Jones, David Kaposi(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications Ltd(Publisher)
...This international manual covers both mental and physical health. Another manual, published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), is also extensively used internationally: the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM), currently in its fifth edition (DSM-5; APA, 2013). This chapter will focus on the latter manual because it has a significant international impact (e.g. on research and on other manuals, such as the ICD) and because it has been the focus of significant scholarship and research. In medicine, a diagnosis is used to: categorise the type of problem a person has identify treatment options and their likely outcome provide access to other kinds of support inform research inform the planning of health services. The following quotations are from two people who received a psychiatric diagnosis. The first, Mike Shooter, is a psychiatrist who chose to speak openly about his experiences of depression, while the second is a mental health service user. When I was told that I was depressed it gave me a framework of understanding and a first grip on what was happening, not just for me but for my wife and children who had been equally frightened by my behaviour. (Shooter, 2010, p. 366) You only have to look at the definitions given in ICD 10 and DSM IV and read comments such as ‘limited capacity to express feelings … callous unconcern for others … threatening or untrustworthy’ … [o]ne thing that these comments have in common is that they are not helpful in any way. (Castillo, 2003, p...
- Susan Cave(Author)
- 2005(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...2 Classification, assessment and diagnosis Background Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) Axes I and II: Major categories International Classification of Diseases (ICD) Clinical assessment procedures Evaluation of classification and diagnosis Background One of the key features of the scientific approach to any subject is that it is systematic. The subject matter is grouped into categories of items that share similar features, or subjected to some other form of logical organisation that makes it easier to see patterns or consistencies in what is observed. The natural sciences have long employed classification systems of various sorts, such as the periodic table of the elements used in chemistry or the phylogenetic systems of the biological sciences. In the 19th century, medical science began to make progress by identifying different illnesses and providing different forms of treatment for them. By comparison, there was very little consistency in the approach to abnormal behaviour. In Britain, a classification scheme was produced by the Statistical Committee of the Royal Medico-Psychological Association, but never utilised by the members. In Paris and America similar schemes also failed to gain acceptance. One of these early schemes was that produced by Kraepelin (1883), who is often regarded as the founder of modern psychiatry. His system identified symptom groups or syndromes, which he considered to have organic causes, i.e. they were physically based. For example, severe mental illnesses were divided into dementia praecox (now known as schizophrenia), which was thought to result from a chemical imbalance, and manic-depressive psychosis, which was thought to result from metabolic irregularities. Kraepelin’s system was the basis from which modern diagnostic schemes developed. There are two major schemes in use at present...
- (Author)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
...Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Ed.: DSM‐5 Catalina Sarmiento and Chloe Lau University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario What is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders? Published by the American Psychiatric Association, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is an authoritative guide to the diagnosis and classification of mental disorders for clinical practice and research. The DSM standardizes diagnoses, thereby providing a common terminology to discuss psychopathology. Its influence is seen in an array of settings and systems, including public health policies, education, reimbursement systems, research, and forensic science. Historical Overview In 1949, the World Health Organization released the sixth edition of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). This was the first edition to include a chapter on mental disorders. In response to the ICD‐6, the American Psychiatric Association developed its own classification system, the DSM, which was first published in 1952. The DSM‐I was the earliest formal manual of mental disorders to focus on clinical use. It was influenced by the psychobiological approach of Adolf Meyer, which conceptualized mental disorders as stress reactions, and the psychoanalytic approach of Sigmund Freud, which emphasized unconscious forces. In 1968, the next edition was released. It introduced new disorders and increased compatibility with the ICD. The DSM‐II was more influenced by a psychoanalytic approach than its predecessor, and no longer referred to disorders as “reactions” (e.g. schizophrenic reaction). The diagnostic definitions of the DSM‐I and DSM‐II were brief, vague, and did not include specific criteria. There were several challenges that psychiatry encountered in the late 1960s and 1970s...
- Amy E. Wenzel(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications, Inc(Publisher)
...Daniel L. Segal Daniel L. Segal Segal, Daniel L. Meghan A. Marty Meghan A. Marty Marty, Meghan A. Frederick L. Coolidge Frederick L. Coolidge Coolidge, Frederick L. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) 1092 1096 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, is a compendium of mental disorders, a listing of the diagnostic criteria used to diagnose them, and a detailed system for their definition, organization, and classification. This entry includes information on the following: (a) the planning and development of the fifth edition of the manual (DSM-5), (b) the general features of the DSM-5 and changes from previous editions, (c) multicultural and diversity issues in the DSM-5, and (d) limitations and criticisms of the DSM-5. According to the DSM-5, the term mental disorder is defined as “a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning.” In contrast, diagnosis refers to the identification and labeling of a mental disorder by examination and analysis. Mental health professionals diagnose individuals based on the symptoms that they report experiencing and the signs of mental disorders with which they present. Whereas the DSM aids professionals in understanding, diagnosing, and communicating about mental disorders through its provision of explicit diagnostic criteria and an official classification system, scant information about treatment is included...
- Bruce B. Frey(Author)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications, Inc(Publisher)
...Diana Joyce-Beaulieu Diana Joyce-Beaulieu Joyce-Beaulieu, Diana Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 503 507 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, is considered the authoritative source within the United States for mental health diagnoses. The manual offers detailed guidance on mental health concerns across the life span from early childhood neurodevelopmental disorders to adult personality disorders and later geriatric neurocognitive disorders. Clinicians and researchers utilized this resource across multiple disciplines, including counseling, education, medicine, psychology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and social work fields. Therefore, the DSM offers a common theoretical framework for understanding mental health issues and a recognized nomenclature to facilitate cross-discipline collaboration. In addition, the DSM coded diagnoses data collected through hospitals and treatment providers, yielding important national information on diagnoses trends, which then informs policy decisions for service provision, research funding, and educational initiatives. This entry begins by reviewing the history of the editions of the DSM and how the fifth edition of DSM (DSM-5) is organized. Next, the importance of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is considered, followed by a look at how symptoms and measures in the DSM assist in diagnoses. Finally, the entry provides a warning about using the DSM without proper qualifications and considers changes that may be made to future revisions of the DSM. History of the DSM The first edition of the DSM (i.e., DSM-I) was published in 1952 and focused primarily on adult mental health needs across three classifications (i.e., organic brain disorders, functional disorders, and mental deficiency disorders)...
