Essay on "DSM5 and Abnormal Behavior"

Essay 4 pages (1332 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

When an individual is affected by personal distress, it also becomes a criterion for categorizing the behavior as abnormal. One example of this form of abnormality is obsessive --compulsive disorder. In this form of behavior, individuals feel anxious over events and issues that can cause to compulsive behaviors in the individuals that are meant to relieve their distress (Crowe 1-5). Also, the behaviors of individuals who have an underdeveloped conscience and those with antisocial personality disorder are also identified to be abnormal as they do not conform to what the majority of the society does and what is accepted to be normal by society.

2. How is the DSM 5 a vital tool in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders? How is it an obstacle to the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is among the most used tools that are used by health professionals for the identification and diagnosis of mental health problems even though a number of classification systems for diagnosis of mental disorders have been developed over time. DSM 5 is the fifth edition of the tool that has been developed by the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM essentially is manual that has standards for classification of mental disorders and a set of diagnostic criteria for every psychiatric disorder that is recognized by the U.S. healthcare system. Psychiatrists, physicians, rehabilitation therapists, counselors, social workers and nurses among others use the latest 5th edition of the DSM (DSM-5). Used both in clinical settings and the community populations, the DSM 5 helps in the collection of accurate statistics for public health n addition to detailed descriptions and diagnostic criteria (Tandon 223).

The use of DSM 5 for diagnosis of mental disorder has its advantages. the tool is based on evidence and that forms the basis for the treatment. DSM 5 tries to form a treatment procedure based on research and development of evidence. The research that is conducted through studies and trials on patients is helpful in the determination of treatment approaches which many claims provides effective results. Published studies using DSM 5 are also helpful for other health care personnel to incorporate the results of the studies in treatment. A common language that can be used by physicians, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and psychiatrists, nurses and psychologists is provided by DSM 5 and hence, these people who are often interrelated in the treatment of mental disorder, are able to effectively communicate with each other. Often the use of DSM evaluation and language is necessary for bringing patients under the cover of insurance.

There are however concerns about the reliability and validity of the tool. Since most of the developments of DSM since DSM 3 has been based on diagnostic reliability -- the degree of agreement between diagnosticians about a diagnosis, therefore many of the diagnoses appear to be similar which results in a high rate of comorbidity. There is also criticism that DSM 5 hinders in the diagnosis of mental illness as the diagnosis is based on superficial symptoms and is not based on the causes of the systems. DSM 5 is also criticized as it is based on statistical and clinical patterns and hence it often creates a stigma and stereotypes for certain diagnoses. This hinders the process of diagnosis of mental illness (Crowe 1-5). Another hindrance for the universal use of DSM 5 is its criticism of being based on a fundamentally Euro-American outlook (Tandon, 223). There is criticism that a large number of non-Western mental disorders that are documented are still left out of the tool.

References

Butcher, James Neal, Susan Mineka, and Jill M Hooley. Abnormal Psychology. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.

Crowe, Simon F. "Assessing The Neurocognitive Disorders of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition)." Australian Psychologist 50.1 (2015): 1-5. Web.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 2013. Print.

Tandon, Rajiv. "Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders in… READ MORE

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