Mental Diagnosis

This diversity in the professions that contribute to the criteria found in the DSM-5 can only assist in assuring the validity of the disorders presented within it. The disorders contained in the manual all have a series of specific requirements that an individual must

Mental illness becomes a bigger issue with a long lasting cultural stereotyped due to the manner in which it has long been labelled (Miles, 1988). Although mental illness is very much connected to instabilities in one’s mental health state, as previously mentioned, a person can be mentally healthy but still suffer from a mental illness. What is understood by mental illness is that it

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is currently the most frequently used way of standardizing and defining psychological disorders. However, the classification systems such as DSM have advantages and disadvantages. The major weakness of DSM is that it judges symptoms superficially and ignores other possible important factors. The major strength of DSM is that it enables categorization of psychological disorders.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has a number of features. First of all, every disorder is identified using a name and a numerical code. In addition, the manual provides the criteria for diagnosing each disorder as well as establishes subtypes of a disorder and examples that would illustrate the disorder. The manual goes further by addressing the typical age of onset, culturally related information, gender-related information, prevalence of a disorder, typical clinical course of a disorder, typical predisposing factors of a disorder and genetic family patterns of a disease (Summers, 2009). The DSM-IV is a tool that is used by mental health practitioners and social service workers. As has been demonstrated

The DSM is used as a standard of reference for psychological diagnosis. The DSM was originally published in 1952 containing only 106 diagnoses; today the revised DSM-IV-TR contains 365 diagnoses. Throughout the history of the DSM, individuals in the mental health profession have relied on it for clarification of disorders, facilitating research, improving communication with other professionals and improving the collection of clinical information. With a new DSM-V underway, there has been a lot of issues surrounding the contents and classifications of the new DSM. There are

Since the discrete nature of the DSM relies on a yes-no approach to classification, patient is either afflicted with a certain mental illness, or not. On the discussion of the not criminally responsible individual, this means that if an individual answers incorrectly or does not provide the right information, they may not be properly characterized under a certain disorder. This may not necessarily mean that the individual does not possess this certain disorder. Furthermore, disorders that have not yet been discovered by psychiatrist will not be found within the DSM manual. The obvious consequence for this would mean that individuals who have special types of disorders might not be diagnosed at all and if they are, they may be diagnosed under incorrect categories due to a lack of understanding. A second criticism of the DSM-IV is that the cut-off points for each disorder are often chosen with little empirical justification. Merely relying on the number of symptoms and the duration of which they appear could mean that those who do not meet the cut-off points for a given category are simply funnelled into the criminal justice system without receiving the quality of mental health attention that they may require. In certain cases, having only two symptoms instead of the required three to possess a certain mental disorder would mean that you do not have that disorder at all. This sort of information should be considered as potentially being sufficient to leave someone in a position where they do not appreciate the nature and quality of their actions. Even if these factors are insufficient to warrant an acquittal based on an entry of NCRMD, it should at the very least be used as a mitigating

Research Stimulation Task: The evaluation of mental illnesses to those that are being diagnosed serve as a basis to alter their way of living, that is to make effective and positive changes. Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health condition disorders that affect your mood, thinking, and behaviour. It is irresistible to act upon knowing the illness you hold and what level it is in the spectrum, and the clarity of your reactions becomes intuitive to society.

DSM-IV-TR- is the official classification system of mental disorders used by counselors, psychologist, social workers, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals in the United States. It is used across settings (inpatient, outpatient, partial hospital, private practice and primary care) and with community populations. (Drummond, 2010). The DSM-5 is a very complex assessment where counselors are required to have extensive preparation in the understanding of mental disorders, certain factors can take in place when administering this test and errors can be made such as misdiagnosing or over diagnosing if not properly administered.

For many centuries there has been multiple arguments about what causes mental illness. Hebrews believed that mental illness was a punishment from god for those who sinned. The way they cured one another was spiritually and through health. They believed that if you had a healthy diet that it would prevent you from any diseases. The physicians were also priests who had “special ways” to heal with higher powers. The biggest theory was that whoever had a mental illness was caused from supernatural forces. There had been many different treatments to help cure ones suffering. Dating back to 5000 BCE was the first treatment preformed on record, showing that one would chip a hole into the human skull to release evil spirits. Later on, the Ancient Egyptians

The DSM is a classified system used by psychiatrist and other clinical professions in order to diagnose clients and patients who show signs of some type of disorder. The two advantages of using this model or classification system ranges from the validity of an assessment used by clinicians and other health care professionals. Build around the concepts and purposes for the DSM model is that it supports a number of standard assessments of diagnosing different treatment providers. Furthermore, (Comer, J. 2016) suggest that the DSM-5 requires clinicians to provide both categorical and dimensional information which is part of being consistent in diagnosing. From a categorical perspective this refers to the name of a particular category of a disorder which is indicated on behalf of the client’s symptoms. From the dimensional perspective it is a rating of how the client symptoms and the severity of the dysfunction through various dimensions.

Being able to form a diagnosis properly for a client is a process that is wide-ranging and broad. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) supports recommendations and standards for identifying a diagnosis for a client. The procedure of diagnosing is more than skimming for symptoms in the DSM; one must assess, interview and identify issues, as well as refer to the DSM for a diagnosis.

Even though the DSM has harsh critics surrounding the subject of diagnosis, there are those who find that the DSM is beneficial when treating clients. As previously mentioned, Clegg (2012) believes that the DSM can be utilized in various agencies and areas of social work. Social workers from different theoretical perspectives find that the DSM is approachable. The manual outlines the symptoms and diagnostic criteria surrounding a disorder. In addition, the manual highlights intervention plans for the diagnosis. These interventions can assist clients and/or their families in overcoming a diagnosis. Lastly, when clients experience symptoms of a mental disorder for the first time, they may feel defeated and unsure of where these symptoms are originating. When clinicians can diagnose their

Misdiagnoses “We are, in the end, a sum of our parts, and when the body fails, all the virtues we hold dear go with it,” (Calahan, 43) says Susannah Cahalan, the author of “Brain on Fire.” It was after she spent a month of madness in the hospital that Susannah had the ability to state this first hand from her own experiences, for she was a young woman with a severe mental illness who suffered from countless detrimental misdiagnoses. Susannah’s case is just one fatal account of a misdiagnosis. Unfortunately, many patients around the world die everyday due to poor diagnoses. For these reasons, doctors should spend time properly diagnosing patients who have an illness because if patients are not properly diagnosed, it can cause destruction of

Psychological disorders are stated to be abnormalities of the mind, known as mental disorders (Klasco, 2011). Abnormalities of the mind cause persistent behaviors that affect an individual’s daily function and life (Klasco, 2011). The different types of psychological disorders include mood disorders, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders (Klasco, 2011). The causes of these disorders are unknown, but factors that contribute to these disorders include childhood experiences, chemical imbalances in the brain, illnesses, heredity, stress, and prenatal exposures (Klasco, 2011). Psychological disorders can be serious and can be life-threatening

The diagnostic process for personality disorders currently covers a broad scope of various tests and symptoms, causing a source of frustration for psychiatrists (Aldhous). The symptoms and side effects of several personality disorders can tend to blur together, making diagnosis challenging (Aldhous). Most psychiatric patients are diagnosed with several personality disorders at once, with twenty percent of people with personality disorders simply diagnosed with a “personality disorder not otherwise specified” (Aldhous). Using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, commonly referred to as the DSM, psychiatrists attempt with great difficulty to categorize their patients into a specific disorder, only to diagnose