Diagnosis of mental disorders Flashcards
What does diagnosis mean?
The process of matching a person’s behvaiours, cognitions, feelings and desires to the signs and symptoms of a recognised mental disorder in order to provide information about prognosis and treatment.
What are the 4 D’s?
Deviance, dysfunction, distress and danger
What is the definition of deviance?
Behaviours, cognitionsm, feelings and desires which are extreme, unusual or bizarre and which differ from social and statistical norms.
What is an example of deviance?
Meowing at a man
What is a postive of deviance?
It is objective and can be counted
What is a negative of deviance?
Just because something is devient in one culture does not mean it is deviant in another culture and therfore not very good as a means of measurement worldwide
What is the definition of dysfunction?
The inability to conduct everday activities
What is an example of dysfunction?
behaviour interfering with their relationship or job
What is a positive of dysfunction?
Easily identifiable
What is a negative of dysfunction?
Might not relate to mental illness e.g. having a disability or religious reasons
It is subjective because it ignores the duration of time and is hard to measure
What is the definition of distress?
The sunjective experience of feeling upset and/ or anxious.
What is an example of distress?
Feeling upset
What is a positive of distress?
Easy to identify (not sure on this one cant lie)
What is a negative of distress?
It is quite subjective
What is the definition of danger?
At risk of causing physical and psychological harm to the self or others.
What is an example of danger?
Suicide or attacking someone
What is a positive of danger?
It is ethically good
What is a negative of danger?
We might do dangerous things that are not associated with mental illness.
What is an overall issue with the 4 D’s?
Overly simplistic. Could be improved by adding a 5th dimension (duration- Davis).
What is an example of labelling that stems from the 4 D’s?
Using “danger” as a criterion for mental disorder leads people to equate mental illness with being dangerous.
Most people with Sz are not actually more dangerous than people without the diagnosis. This matters because such attituds may become “self fulfilling prophecies”- stereotypes lead people to act in the way predicted by the stereotypes.
Which classification manuals are the 4D’s used in?
DSM-5 and ICD-10
