L3.2 - Co-morbidity

Question 1

Define co-morbidity

Answer 1

When two or more illnesses occur simultaneously in a patient

Question 2

What two illnesses are often co-morbid?

Answer 2

SZ and depression

Question 3

Why are SZ and depression similar?

Answer 3

Share symptoms

Question 4

What do psychologists have to do?

Answer 4

Use judgement to categorise patient as either having SZ/depression

Question 5

What should psychologists consult?

Answer 5

Need to fully use DSM-V/ICD-10 for reliability and validity

Question 6

Issues found related to SZ and OCD

Answer 6

12% of SZ meet criteria to be diagnosed with OCD, so problem with diagnosing as one illness and not another

Question 7

Advantage related to research?

Answer 7

98% concordance rate in 100 Danish patients

Reliability is still high

Question 8

Another limitation related to research done into investigating SZ and validity?

Answer 8

SZ w co-morbid illnesses excluded from research yet most SZ have other illnesses
Researchers’ findings done can’t be generalised, to all patients, may be invalid

Question 9

Limitation related to lack of validity in DSM/ICD

Answer 9

Both have too much symptom overlap so difficult to diagnose what they have or both
May classify as both or 2nd opinion