SZ- Reliability & Validity Flashcards
Define reliability
Consistency of measurements
Define inter-rater reliability
More than one professional will help to diagnose someone with schizophrenia
How is inter-rater reliability important in the diagnosis of SZ
In order to get consistent diagnosis.
There can often be symptom overlap in SZ and other illnesses such as bipolar so it’s important for two practitioners to agree on the diagnosis as one professional may diagnose wrongly but having another to confirm it increases the inter-rater reliability
Why is there poor reliability in the diagnosis of SZ
Symptoms aren’t exclusive to SZ they can overlap with other mental illnesses
Why are there culture differences in diagnosis
Research suggests there is a significant variation between countries when it comes to diagnosing schizophrenia. One of the main characteristics of SZ ‘hearing voices’ also appears to be influenced by cultural environment.
In a study it was found that people in the USA are more likely to report voices they heard as violent and hurtful whereas in Africa and India they reported positive experiences, describing them as playful and offering advice
What changes have been made to improve reliability of diagnosis in different cultures
New versions of DSM and ICD have improved and are consistent in symptoms compared to what they used to be
Need two trained clinicians to diagnose for more consistent results, staff are nore trained Now
Validity
Accuracy
Symptom overlap
Symptoms of a disorder may not be unique to that disorder and can be found in other disorders
How does symptom overlap effect the validity of classification of SZ
Makes an accurate diagnosis difficult
Co-morbidity
The extent that two or more conditions occur at the same time In a patient for example SZ and depression
Why is co-morbidity a problem in diagnosing SZ
It’s harder to make a accurate diagnosis. Psychiatric co-morbidities are common among patients with SZ. These include anxiety depression and substance abuse. In research it was found that co-morbid depression occurs in 50% of patients and 47% of patients also have a lifetime diagnosis of co-morbid substance abuse. A meta analysis also sound that at least 12% of patients wirh SZ also fulfilled diagnostic criteria of OCD. Problems with co-morbidity is that treatment/ medications aren’t given due to uncertainty. If patients have symptoms of two conditions doctors won’t know which one to treat
How does gender bias effect validity of diagnosis
Gender bias in the diagnosis of SZ is said to occur when accuracy of diagnosis is dependant on the gender of the patient. The accuracy can vary for a number of reasons including gender biased diagnosis criteria or clinicians basing their judgements on stereotypical beliefs about gender. Research found that clinicians in the US consider mentally healthy adult behaviour to be the same as mentally healthy male behaviour. As a result there was a tendency. For women to be perceived as less mentally healthy.
