Evaluating Validity of diagnosis of schizophrenia

Question 1

A03 - Supporting evidence?

Answer 1

P - Supporting evidence shows how comorbity can occour a lot, leading to many false Positives/negatives

E - Buckley et al (2009) found that 50% of sz patients had a diagnosis of deppression, 29% PTSD, 23% OCD.

E - This supports that there are problems with validity, namely the issue of co-morbidity, as we cannot be for certain which increases overlap.

• Comorbity
• false negatives/positives
• Buckley et al (2009)
• 50%
• deprresion
• 29%
• PTSD
• 23%
• OCD

Question 2

A03 - Evidence to support ‘overlapping symptoms’ issue

Answer 2

P - There is evidence to support the ‘overlapping symptoms’ issue.

E - Konstantareas and Hewitt (2001) compared 14 male autisims with 14M SZ patients. None of SZ patients had symptoms of autism. But the autisisms, 50% of them had symptoms of SZ (especially negative symptoms).

E - This means more false positives are likely in diagnosis of SZ, like autism.

L - This shows support for the symptom overlap.

• over lapping
• Konatantareas
• Hewitt
• 2001
• 14 autistic
• 14 SZ
• 50%

Question 3

A03 - Research against?

Answer 3

P - There is evidence that shows psychiatricts can’t differentiate between mentally healthy and non healthy patients including sz

E - Rosenhan (1973) sent 8 “preudo patients” (psyc students) to 12 different mental hospitals without the staff knowing. in all patients they were diagnosed with SZ. Despite none showing any symptoms.

E - This suggests that psychiatrics cannot differentiate between insane and sane.

L - Thus, the validity on psyciatrics correctly diagnosing a mental illness is flawed, which can be linked to SZ.

• sane/insane
• Rosenhan (1973)
• 8 preudo patients
• 12 mental hospitals
• fake
• all diagnosed

Question 4

A03 - however, with rosenhans study?

Answer 4

they were psyc students and knew how to act as Schizo. it’s hard to measure SZ.