Clinical Flashcards
What is a general strength of the DSM?
Allows for a common diagnosis so it is consistent
Where does the DSM come from?
America
How many axis are there?
5
What does each axis look at?
1- clinical syndromes e.g schizophrenia
2- personality conditions e.g OCD
3- general medical conditions
4- social and environmental issues
5- how well you cope with everyday life
What is a reliable diagnosis?
One that stands the test of time and different doctors diagnose the same illness and give the same treatment
How is reliability measured?
Inter-rater reliability : extent at which two or more doctors agree on the diagnosis
How can reliability be lowered?
Detail patients give and it patients symptoms overlap
What did Goldstein find?
Tested DSM 3 while looking at rediagnosis of schizophrenics - Found a good level of agreement when psychiatrists were given case histories and didn’t know previous diagnosis.
What did Beck et al find?
When 2 psychiatrists were given the same 153 patients to diagnose they agreed 54% of the time
What does a valid diagnosis mean?
The diagnosis is correct and reflects the disorder.
Patients symptoms match illnesses symptoms.
Do people who share symptoms get given the same diagnosis?
What is etiological validity?
If people with the same disorder have the same cause of the disorder
What is predicative validity?
If those with the same diagnosis follow the same path in life without treatment
What is criterion validity ?
Comparing two systems to check for validity
