Outline and Evaluate Teh Success of the Classification and Diagnosis Systems of Sz

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Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a breakdown of thought processes and by a deficit of typical emotional responses. Schizophrenia is classed in two different ways they are through the DSM and ICD 10. The DSM is a device used in the USA to class schizophrenia while the ICD10 is used in most of Europe. It is important to note that the DSM has 5 subtypes that the patients must display for 6 months in order to be given their diagnosis however, the IDC10 used to have seven subtypes, which patients must display for 1 month in order to be diagnosed but now has none (it was modified). The purpose of this classification is to make communication between professionals clearer and to ensure the correct treatment is chosen, allowing a better understanding in the mental disorder. The validity of schizophrenia may also be put into question, as there may be cultural/language barriers involved. In addition to this, some signs of schizophrenia are also associated with illnesses such as depression for example, hallucinations and delusions. Similarly, some of the subtypes of schizophrenia are very vague for example, “undifferentiated schizophrenia” a classification for those symptoms, which are not classifiable under any of the other subtypes.Therefore this also proves problems for the diagnosis of schizophrenia as someone with schizophrenia may be seen as having depression and vice versa therefore the wrong medicine administered will not improve the diagnosis. This can be dealt with by having multiple doctors making a diagnosis e.g. from across different countries specialists this improves the inter-rater reliability. The validity of the diagnosis is also improved providing one system can be used for every country e.g. the DSM. Rosenhan et al, conducted a study on the classification and diagnosis systems and how discovered how accurate the psychiatrists diagnosis

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