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Apa format. 250 words + for the discussion, student responses 150 words +

For this week’s discussion assignment, respond to the following questions: There are clear advantages and criticisms of the current DSM and the process of diagnosis in general. What do you think about the current classification system and its collection of both categorical and dimensional information? What do you see as the biggest challenges in using it for diagnosis?

Remember that all posts are graded for substance and thoughtful consideration of the discussion topic. Your post must also end with a “Question to the Class” – something related to the topic that you found thought-provoking and about which you’d like to know more and have further dialog.

Response #1

Good morning Class and Professor,

The DSM has had several versions over the years since its inception in 1952. It has since been adjusted due to changes and diagnoses. There are codes that the DSM presents which identifies and stipulates the criteria for a diagnosis of a mental disorder. Some codes specify a disorder that is used not only to identify a disorder but also to summarize complex disorders for references and insurance companies for insurance purposes.

The DSM III was published in 1980 identified a disorder defined as a sexual orientation disturbance as homosexuality. An amendment was made, and it described homosexuality as distress and anxiety. It may be very well assumed that there had been another amendment which identified additional aspects of homosexuality.

Since the creation of the DSM, amendments were often as things change and there are inconveniencies and benefits. Regardless, the DSM has aided in the treatment of patients, and it has also aided health insurance companies in billing patients for services received as well as making sure the patient receives the correct services as well. The DSM is a combination of numbers and labels, which has caused some problems that may not become evident until later. These problems consist of over diagnosis and or misdiagnosis which will cause the patient to receive the wrong treatment.

The DSM-5, being confidential has been the blame for past debates. The amendment of the DSM5 was in essence, guiding principles in the way it would be regarded. In hindsight, four guiding principles were created for the DSM-5 that caused debate. For instance, how to implement the paradigm shift in psychiatric diagnosis. Needless to say, this caused dissatisfaction with therapists DSM-5. Because of these changes, there is the notion that redefining disorders was preferred to be in place until there is a complete until a solid identification is made, was a part of the debates and issues. Because of this, the therapist should have sought out the PDM or the psychodynamic diagnostic manual even though it is favored over the DSM-5.

Can someone tell me how often the DSM manual should be amended or revised?

Zee

Response #2

The DSM is the main classification system used by clinical psychologists. This provides information on each mental illness and the symptoms. This serves as a guideline to help psychologists determine a diagnosis for their patients and to keep diagnosis under the same symptoms instead of having each psychologist come up with their own. Prior the DSM, each psychiatrist and professor had their own classification for each mental disorder, causing a lot of confusion (Maddux & Winstead, 2015). While the DSM-5 has helped provide a guideline for classifications on mental disorders, there are still some issues that arise. These issues are: the empirical support for proposed revisions, the definition of mental disorder, the impact of culture and values, shifting to a neurobiological model, and shifting to a dimensional model. One that stands out to me is how the impact of culture and values can affect classifying mental disorders. Homosexuality use to be viewed as a mental disorder where people were hospitalized and even jailed due to what was believed as deviant behavior. With more people speaking out on homosexuality, forming LGBTQ communities, and fighting for equal rights, homosexuality is no longer viewed as a mental disorder. It has sense been removed from the DSM-5. Once believed as being deviant behavior, is now accepted as a person’s sexual identity and is out in the open instead of in secret.

Are there any other once believed deviant behavior you can think of that has been removed or changed in the DSM-5?

Culture and society have a large influence on taboo and acceptable behaviors. When open dialogue happens and people become more understanding and accepting, society’s beliefs and values change. With the amount of access we have through social media and the internet, we have the ability to become more educated on the different cultures throughout the world. With more exposure, normalcy begins to form.

Celia

Reference

Maddux, J. E., & Winstead, B. A. (Eds.). (2015). Psychopathology : Foundations for a contemporary understanding. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Response #3

First off, the diagnostic manual has been around since 1952 and has helped professionals tremendously in their understanding of disorders and the process of classifying each disorder. I think the DSM can be extremally helpful when it comes to diagnosing an individual. The DSM can also help therapists when working with an individual who has been diagnosed with a disorder due to the fact that each disorder in the DSM is classified in a specific manner and treatment options are listed clearly.

However, the DSM can sometimes be said to cause an oversimplification of certain behaviors. In other words, sometimes the diagnosis or classifications can be too broad at times. Also, with use of the DSM a therapist may misdiagnose a patient which could lead to improper treatment for their state of being.

The current DSM uses both categorical information, such as facts and specific, strictly defined categories and also dimensional information. Dimensional models place mental health on a spectrum. For example, there can be two people diagnosed with schizophrenia, but one is able to function at a high level while the other cannot. The combination of the two is an interesting way to further the treatment of mental illness. I think the combining of the two can be used to see treatment from two sides, a sort of healthy middle ground. Due to the fact that individuals are not just being treated based on textbook classifications of disorders, but also based off of a spectrum of their diagnosed disorder, I believe this can lead to a more rounded diagnosis. I do, however, believe that we must always keep up with new research and information, so hopefully in the next few years there will be a better system or new information!

My question for the class is… If you were to create a diagnostic model, would you include both categorical and dimensional information?

-Riley