Diagnostic Tools for Mental Disorders

Diagnostic Tools for Mental Disorders

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Mental disorders are some of the common conditions across the globe as a large number of people are already affected. As a result, there is a need to diagnose individuals who have mental disorders so that they can be helped through treatment. Various diagnostic tools are used in the diagnosis of mental conditions. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a handbook widely used by clinicians and psychiatrists in the United States to diagnose psychiatric illnesses. There are various categories of DSM criteria ranging from DSM-1 – DSM-5. DSM-5 was published in the year 2013, a revision of the DSM-IV published in 2000. DSM-5 stipulates various key elements of a diagnosis. The diagnostic criteria and descriptor are among the key elements of a diagnosis and involve the guidelines for making a diagnosis. When the full criteria are met, clinicians can add the severity and the course specifiers to indicate the patient’s current presentation. However, if the full criteria are not met, the clinicians can use designators such as “Unspecified” or “Other specified.”

Another key element of DSM-5 is the existence of subtypes and specifiers. In this case, the subtypes are used to denote for “mutually exclusive and jointly exhaustive phenomenological subgroupings within a diagnosis.” On the other hand, specifiers are not mutually exclusive or jointly exhaustive, and therefore, more than one specifier can be allocated. Principle diagnosis is another key element used when more than one diagnosis is provided for a person. The principal diagnosis is the basis for a visit in ambulatory care and a reason for admission, and therefore, it is the focus of treatment. The last key element of DSM-5 is the provisional diagnosis which is used in the event of inadequate information to help a mental health professional to make a definitive diagnosis, but there is a strong presumption that the full criteria will be met with additional information or time, then the provisional specifier can be used.

DSM-5 is not the only criteria used in the diagnosis of mental conditions. The International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th revision (ICD-10) is also used to diagnose psychiatric illnesses. The 43rd World Health Assembly endorsed ICD-10 in May 1990. According to WHO, ICD is the foundation for the identification of health trends and statistics across the globe. It is also the international standard for the reporting of disease and health conditions and is used for standard diagnostic classification for all clinical and research purposes. Chapter V of ICD-10 consists of a detailed classification of more than 300 mental and behavioral disorders. There are two main versions of ICD-10 that are available, and they include the Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines and the Diagnostic Criteria for Research. The Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines provide descriptions that detail the principal signs and symptoms of each of the conditions, along with other important but less specific features associated with the disorder. It also includes a comprehensive guideline for the diagnosis of the specific condition. The Diagnostic Criteria for Research, on the other hand, was intended to help the researchers of specific conditions to maximize the homogeneity of study groups, and it sets out the criteria that allow for the selection of persons with similar symptoms as well as other characteristics.

Another tool used for diagnosing mental health conditions is the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), which an initiative of the United States National Institute of Mental Health. In contrast with the DSM criteria, the RDoC aims at being a biologically-valid framework to help in the understanding of mental disorders by creating a new kind of taxonomy for mental conditions and thus bring the power of modern research approaches in genetics, behavioral science and neuroscience to the problem of mental illness. Cultural competence refers to the ability to understand, communicate, and interact effectively with individuals across various cultures. Therefore, it involves being aware of a person’s world view and developing knowledge of the different cultural practices and world’s perceptions. Different cultures are vulnerable to various mental conditions, and thus, studying psychology helps individuals understand other cultures through cultural competence. We are able to appreciate the various issues that exist in a community due to the concept of inclusivity.

References

Harrigan, S. (2016). Diagnosing mental disorders: DSM-5 and ICD-10. Classroom Productions.