factors influencing diagnosis

Question 1

challenges facing diagnosis

Answer 1

• no agreed definition of normality and abnormality, diagnosis may not be reliable or valid
• cultural and social consequences of diagnosis

Question 2

abnormality

Answer 2

• deviation from the norm
• relies on social and cultural norms
• varies depending on the time and place

Question 3

ways to define abnormality
statistical infrequency

Answer 3

• statistically rare behaviour = abnormal
  eg. autism
• behaviour may be rare but not a sign of a mental disorder or undesirable
• some mental disorders such as depression are common

Question 4

ways to define abnormality
deviation from social norms

Answer 4

• based on social attitudes to behaviour
• breaking the unwritten rules of society = abnormal
• people who do not conform are too easily labelled as abnormal and seen as a threat
  eg. homosexuality

Question 5

ways to define abnormality
failure to function adequately

Answer 5

• behaviour, mood, thinking impacts their well being = abnormal
• their behaviour negatively impacting others around them, threatening

Question 6

ways to define abnormality
deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 6

SHOULD HAVE - Jahoda (1958)
- positive attitude towards themselves
- sense of self actualization, best they can be
- independent, self reliant
- cope with stress and change
- accurate perception of reality

• subjective list, different cultures different values

Question 7

classification system
DSM - 5

Answer 7

• diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
• america, parts of africa and asia

Question 8

classification system
ICD - 10

Answer 8

• international classification of diseases
• europe

Question 9

classification system
CCMD - 3

Answer 9

• chinese classification of mental disorders
• china

Question 10

classification system
GOSC

Answer 10

• great ormond street criteria
• especially for children

Question 11

clinical bias
culture

Answer 11

• different cultures have different criteria and explanations for abnormal behaviour

Question 12

clinical bias
culture bound syndromes

Answer 12

• particular abnormal behavior or mental disorder may not exist outside of the culture of a patient
• go to a psychologist outside of their culture, won’t have tools to deal with
• misdiagnosis, mistreatment

Question 13

clinical bias
culture blindness and stereotypes

Answer 13

• cross cultural differences in what is perceived as abnormal behaviour
• common in some cultures to hear voices of dead family members, not a symptom of a psychological disorder

Question 14

clinical bias
reporting bias

Answer 14

• not properly diagnosed
• certain groups avoid/don’t have access seeking help from professionals

Question 15

clinical bias
cross cultural variation in symptoms

Answer 15

• using different classification methods, different disorders
• same disorder presents differently depending on the cultures

Question 16

clinical bias
confirmation bias

Answer 16

• interpreting behaviour fitting their original diagnosis and ignoring behaviour that doesn’t

Question 17

validity

Answer 17

• person diagnosed really has the particular disorder as defined by the classification system
• disorder is just a collection of symptoms
• ## impossible to do without classification system, all vary

Question 18

face validity

Answer 18

• criteria appear to measure what they say they do
• more vulnerable to a social desirability bias, manipulate their response to deny/hide problems, exaggerate behaviours to fall within a critera

Question 19

construct validity

Answer 19

• whether the diagnostic test can be used to support the diagnosis
• are the questions valid for the disorder being tested
• patients already been diagnosed, retest using another measure to see if the result is the same disorder

Question 20

reliability

Answer 20

• accuracy

Question 21

inter-rater reliabiloty

Answer 21

• another mental health professional, preferred not knowing the original diagnosis uses the same classification system comes to same conclusion
• can be low between psychologists because disorders overlap, depression and anxiety same symptoms

Question 22

test-retest reliability

Answer 22

• reliability of the diagnosis over time
• if not recovered, diagnosed with the same disorder by the same clinician at any future date
• diagnosis should not change

Question 23

ethical considerations

Answer 23

• not diagnosed, misdiagnosed, mistreated
• stigmatisation, self fulfilling prophecy, confirmaiton bias

Question 24

stigmatisation

Answer 24

• shame associated with something most people in society deem as unacceptable
• treating them as if they should be ashamed
• social stigma attached to things

Question 25

self fulfilling prophecy

Answer 25

• expectations of other people/groups lead people/groups to behave in ways that confirm those expectations
• labelled as something, internalize this label, believe it, act as the label
• belief makes reality conform to the belief