Reliability and validity of schizophrenia Flashcards
What is reliability in terms of schitzophrenia?
Ensuring there is consistency in the diagnosis and classification of schizophrenia by different psychiatrists across times and cultures
What is validity in terms of schizophrenia?
Ensuring the patient is recieving a correct diagnosis and that schizophrenia has been correctly classified.
What are two factors which brings into question the reliability of diagnosing schizophrenia?
- Cultural differences 2. Inter-rater reliability.
What are 3 factors which bring into question the validity of diagnosing schizophrenia?
- Symptom overlap 2. Co-morbidity 3. Gender bias.
What is co-morbidity, why does it reduce validity of diagnosis and example study?
The extent that two (or more) conditions or diseases occur simultaneously in a patient.
If found commonly alongside another disorder, it may not be a separate condition.
Buckley et al. (2009) found 50% people diagnosed with schizophrenia also have depression
E.g. a patient having both schizophrenia and depression.
What is symptom overlap, why does it reduce validity of diagnosis and example study?
Symptoms of a disorder may not be unique to that disorder but may also be found in other disorders,.
Makes accurate diagnosis difficult.
Ellason et al (1995) Claimed DID has more schizophrenic symptoms than people with schizophrenia
How do cultural differences affect reliability of diagnosing schizophrenia?
Some positive symptoms such as hearing voices is seen as acceptable in African cultures. Within these cultures the person would not receive a diagnosis whereas in the UK which in a Western culture this is seen as bizzare and they are more likely to be diagnosed. Colchrane et al (1977) found people of Afro-Caribbean origin are 7 times more likely to be diagnosed with Schizophrenia when they are in the UK
What is inter-rater reliability in relation to the diagnosis of mental health disorders, example?
The extent to which different clinicians arrive at the same diagnosis for the same patients.
Cheniaux et Al. 2009 - 2 psychiatrists independently diagnosed 100 patients using both DSM and ICD manuals.
What is gender bias in terms of schizophrenia, why and study
Accuracy of diagnosis is dependent on the gender of the individual
Males are more likely to be diagnosed than females as females appear to function better- means schizophrenia could be unrecognised in females.
Loring and Powell (1988) selected 290 psychiatrists to read 2 case studies of patients behavior. When patients were described as male 56% of psychiatrists diagnosed them with schizophrenia versus 20% when described as a female.
