Classification of Schizophrenia A03 Flashcards
Why is Co-morbidity a limitation of schizophrenia?
If two conditions occur together much of the time it calls into question whether they should be diagnosed as the same condition, rather than two
May call into question whether Sz is a distinct condition, or whether its symptoms are just a part of other conditions
What is a limitation of symptom overlap?
There are symptom overlaps in Sz and conditions such as Bipolar due to both including hallucination and delusions etc
Means that Sz and bipolar may not be two different conditions, but variations of the same illness which are hard to diagnose
How is gender bias a limitation in Sz?
Men 40% more frequently diagnosed with Sz (ratio 1:4) compared to females - this could be women are less likely to have Sz or are better at ‘managing Sz’ for example having closer friends or receiving better support (Cotton et al, 2009)
Why is this an issue:
- means the criteria may not be currently identifying female Sz
- meaning females are unlikely to get the help and treatment they need
Why is culture bias a limitation in Sz diagnosis?
Symptoms of Sz e.g hearing voices have different meanings in different cultures I.e in Haiti some people believe voices are communications from ancestors
What did Pinto and Jones (2008) find about Afro-caribbean heritage in the diagnosis of Sz?
They are 10x more likely to be diagnosed with Sz than white people in Britain, yet diagnosis for Afro-Carribbean people worldwide os not significantly higher
Why is Pinto and Jones (2008) study show a limitation in the diagnosis of SZ?
It proves culture bias in the diagnosis of patients - doctors from the UK are likely to over interpret the symptoms of Sz in black people - which is a form of discrimination
What did Escobar in (2012) find?
That psychiatrists do not trust black people to be honest about their symptoms. Escobar reports that clinicians said these individuals suffered from “symptom denial, poor insight, or uncooperativeness”
