Resources episode 7

References:

• How to Make a Clinical Diagnosis: A Step-by-Step Guide

• The Diagnostic Process

• Steps in the Diagnostic Process

• What is Differential Diagnosis

• How Do You Diagnose A Mental Illness

Questions to ponder:

• What is a diagnosis? What is a prognosis?

• What are the steps for diagnosis? Ex: Tuberculosis; Depression

• How come different health care professionals can come up with different diagnoses for the same patient?

• Why is it important to get an accurate diagnosis?

• What is the deal with today’s doctors affirming patients' problems rather than challenging them?

• How do I determine a diagnosis is reliable?

Tools:

• Diagnosis has been described as both a process and a classification scheme, or a “pre-existing set of categories agreed upon by the medical profession to designate a specific condition”

• Mental Health Professional:

  • (1) Gathering information: interview to learn person’s main concerns, their symptoms, and their life history (can gather other info from family, records, lab tests and questionnaires)

  • (2) Narrowing down the options: match symptoms with those in DSM-5

  • (3) Forming a diagnostic impression: make first impression using DSM-5; examples: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, agoraphobia and alcohol use disorder; can have multiple diagnoses if have multiple problems

Interesting Facts:

• Because of concerns such as dignity, human rights and political correctness, the term “patient” is not always used to refer to a person receiving health care. Health care “consumer” or “client” is often used. However, such terminology may be offensive to those receiving public health care as it implies a business relationship.

• Diagnoses can become internalized and affect an individual’s self-identity, and some psychotherapists have found that the healing process can be inhibited and symptoms can worsen as a result. People with psychological disorders are far more than just embodiments of their disorders. We do not use terms such as schizophrenics, depressives, or phobics because they are labels that objectify people who suffer from these conditions, thus promoting biased and disparaging assumptions about them. It is important to remember that a psychological disorder is not what a person is; it is something that a person has—through no fault of his or her own.