Evaluation of the 4 D's

Question 1

Validity

Answer 1

• Possibly a 5th D, Duration. If behaviour’s last a long time, this could be a symptom that requires psychiatric attention.
• Deviant behaviours differ from culture to culture. What is considered deviant in 1 culture may not be in another.
• Some behaviours aren’t abnormal in society and are still are symptom of a mental health illness, e.g. depressive thoughts.

Question 2

Subjectivity

Answer 2

• What is considered abnormal for someone depends on the context. E.g. an individual may not work because they have never had a job or many dangerous behaviours like sports are not considered mentally unhealthy.
• It is hard to measure as not everyone can communicate their feelings, e.g. distress.

Question 3

Application

Answer 3

• Useful to help clinicians assess whether an individual has a mental health illness and give them the right treatment.
• Some symptoms may not fit in the 4 D’s and it may be difficult to judge as people can hide symptoms

Question 4

Individual differences

Answer 4

• Some individuals experience large amounts of distress but still function normally.
• Some people are good at hiding some mental illnesses.

Question 5

Reliability

Answer 5

• All 4 D’s must be explored thoroughly with each patient to be sure everyone is measured in a standardised way. Standard test should be used to assess symptoms where possible rather than making personal judgements.