Evaluation of The DSM

Question 1

+ Agreement between clinicians (and kappa values) - reliability

Answer 1

Field trials of the DSM demonstrated impressive levels of agreement between clinicians for a variety of disorders. Regier et al. reported that three disorders, including PTSD, had kappa values ranging from 0.60 to 0.79 - inter-rater reliability

Question 2

+ Consistent across countries

Answer 2

WHO study found that diagnoses using the DSM was consistent across a range of countries, Russia being one where reliability was very high - inter-rater reliability

Question 3

• Beck et al. - reliability

Answer 3

Beck et al. looked at the inter-rater reliability between two psychiatrists when considering the cases of 154 patients using the DSM. The reliability was only 54%, meaning they only agreed on diagnosis for 54% of cases - inter-rater reliability

Question 4

• Andrews and Hoffman - reliability/validity

Answer 4

Studies by Andrews and Hoffman both suggest there is inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity with the DSM and ICD, but thereliabiluty and validity could be a lot higher - inter-rater reliability/concurrent validity

Question 5

+ Lee (Korean children) - validity

Answer 5

Lee found that the DSM could be used to diagnose ADHD in Korean children - predictive validity

Question 6

• Evrard (hearing voices) - validity

Answer 6

Evrard shows how hearing voices can be because of mental disorders but in some cultures is seen as an exceptional spiritual experience - lacks cultural validity

Question 7

• Classifying vs. causes - validity

Answer 7

The publication of the DSM led to a storm of criticism from psychiatrists and psychologists claiming that psychiatric diagnosis tells us nothing about what causes a disorder. Naming or classifying a disorder does not actually tell us anything about the cause - low aetiological validity