Reliabiity And Validity In Diagnosis And Classification

Question 1

Define reliability and validity.

Answer 1

Reliability- consistency of a classification systems .
Validity- the extent that a diagnosis represents something that is real and distinct from other disorders and the extent DSM measures what it claims to measure.

Question 2

Cultural differences

Answer 2

• can leave to misdiagnosis to those who need treatment.
• COPELAND, us psychiatrists diagnosed 69% as sz and British psychiatrists diagnosed 2% as schizophrenic
• suffers from ethnocentrism.
• relativism- westernised view of mental-illness..

Question 3

Gender bias

Answer 3

BROVERMANN- clinicians in the US, equated healthy mental health with mentally healthy male behaviour. There is a tendency to see women as less healthy mentally.
- unequal diagnosis.

Question 4

Comorbidity

Answer 4

Refers to the extent that two or more conditions co occurs.
BUCKLEY ET AL- 50% of those suffering with schizophrenia suffer with depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

Question 5

Issues with comorbidity.

Answer 5

• symptoms like delusions can appear in other disorders like bipolar disease.
• overlap creates confusion and lead to misdiagnosis.

Question 6

ROSENHAM’s STUDY

Answer 6

• 3 women and 5 men were pseudopatients and tried to get admitted into mental hospitals.
• none of the staff realised they were healthy patients.
  -35/118 patients accused the patients to not being genuinely ill.

Question 7

AO3

Answer 7

• low validity
• unreliable symptoms
• reliability
• research support for gender bias
• consequences of comorbidity.

Question 8

Low validity

Answer 8

DSM AND ICD lack validity, studies show differences in diagnosis rates between classification systems. DSM over diagnoses and ICD under diagnosis. Shows limited understanding into SZ, Delayed treatment.

Question 9

Consequences of comorbidity

Answer 9

WEBER ET AL, viewed over 6 million hospital discharge records, found evidence of asthma and so, were given poorer care than standard treatment. Further worsens SZ.

Question 10

Reliability

Answer 10

• CHENIUX- shows low interest rates rater reliability when two psychiatrists are given the same case. 26/100 were labelled with DSM, 44/100 with ICD with schizophrenia.
• professionals differ on classifications and their subjective judgement plays a significant role and cannot be certain.