Psychologists use classification systems to diagnose mental disorders. But these systems have also come under criticism. The most popular classification system is the DSM-IV. The DSM-IV focuses mostly on describing symptoms and the statistics of each illness and whom it affects. This manual includes about 250 mental disorders and includes five dimensions, which takes on a multiaxial approach to categorizing various disorders. This method allows psychiatrists to conduct a more thorough and comprehensive evaluation of the client’s functioning, due to mental illness effect on various areas of life. The use of the DSM-IV manual helps make diagnosing mental health disorders among healthcare professionals maintain consistency along with treating …show more content…
In the case study of Magenta C. the original diagnosis I made suggest a certain therapeutic approach, which depends on the specific theoretical orientation of the therapist. A psychoanalyst approach is usually reserved for anxiety disorders, but also depression. Therefore, it may be beneficially in help magenta with her PTSD and the symptoms. For instance, by providing some since of catharsis, Magenta could come to terms with the hidden disturbances in her life (love, family, school etc.), which may all be reached by talking about her early years and childhood. Magenta’s OCD behavior and social withdrawal, and overall depression are the main maladaptive cognitions that the therapist would focus on. Through cognitive therapy as mentioned before, the therapist may be able to identify some of these maladaptive behaviors. Cognitive therapy may act as a way to get into Magenta’s cognitive thinking and challenge her faulty thoughts about her life. Essentially, the cognitive therapist will provide an alternate perspective, which would eventually help Magenta’s react and think differently to her existing trauma and other issues. Another approach would be the client-centered therapy method, which focuses on creating an open and trusting space where the patients are encouraged to subjectively comprehend their own situation, opposed to the cognitive therapy approach, where the therapist is interpreting their thoughts or situation for them. In order for this method of therapy to be affective, it is imperative that the environment is open, honest and most important genuine. Empathy plays a major role in this therapeutic method due to the therapist needing deeply understand and project the patient’s feelings, resulting in the patient gaining perspective of their innermost emotions. Along with empathy, unconditional positive regard is
A 38-year-old single woman, Gracie, was referred for treatment of depressed mood. She spoke of being stressed out due to conflicts at work, and took a bunch of unknown pills. She reported feeling a little depressed prior to this event following having ovarian surgery and other glandular medical problems. She appeared mildly anxious and agitated. She is frequently tearful, but says she does not have any significant sleep or appetite disturbance. She does, however, endorse occasional suicidal ideation, but no perceptual disturbances and her thoughts are logical and goal-directed.
... J. (2011) “Cognitive behavior therapy enables client and therapist to work on cycles of thought and behavior that perpetuate low mood” (Pp. 1). Finally, the Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy will aid the family to understand the traumatizing stress they have endured. According to Cohen & Mannarino (2008) “Children may develop different problems in response to traumatic exposure” (Pp. 1).
The DSM-5 lists approximately 400 mental disorders, each one explains the criteria for diagnosing the disorder and key clinical features, and sometimes describes features that are often times not related to the disorder. The classification is further explained by the background information such as: research findings, age, culture, gender trends, and each disorder’s prevalence, risk, course, complications, predisposing factors, and family patterns (Comer, 2013, pp.100).... ... middle of paper ... ...
Frances, A., & Ross, R. (1996). DSM-IV case studies a clinical guide to differential diagnosis. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc.
The American Psychiatric Association. (APA) (1994): Diagnostic and Statistical manual of mental disorders. (4thed). Washington DC: Author
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has been used for decades as a guidebook for the diagnosis of mental disorders in clinical settings. As disorders and diagnoses evolve, new versions of the manual are published. This tends to happen every 10 years or so with the first manual (DSM-I) having been published in 1952. For the purpose of this discussion, we will look at the DSM-IV, which was published originally in 1994, and the latest version, DSM-5, that was published in May of 2013. Each version of the DSM contains “three major components: the diagnostic classification, the diagnostic criteria sets, and the descriptive text” (American Psychiatric Association, 2012). Within the diagnostic classification you will find a list of disorders and codes which professionals in the health care field use when a diagnosis is made. The diagnostic criteria will list symptoms of disorders and inform practitioners how long a patient should display those symptoms in order to meet the criteria for diagnosis of a disorder. Lastly, the descriptive text will describe disorders in detail, including topics such as “Prevalence” and “Differential Diagnosis” (APA, 2012). The recent update of the DSM from version IV-TR to 5 has been controversial for many reasons. Some of these reasons include the overall structure of the DSM to the removal of certain disorders from the manual.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the comprehensive guide to diagnosing psychological disorders. This manual is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and is currently in its fifth revision. Moreover, the manual is utilized by a multitude of mental health care professionals around the world in the process of identifying individuals with disorders and provides a comprehensive list of the various disorders that have been identified. The DSM serves as the essential resource for diagnosis of mental disorders based off of the various signs and symptoms displayed by individuals while also providing a basic reference point for the treatment of the different disorders. The manual attempts to remain scientific in its approach to identifying the underlying symptoms of each disorder while meeting the needs of the different psychological perspectives and the various mental health fields. The DSM has recently gone through a major revision from the DSM-IV-TR to the DSM-5 and contains many significant changes in both the diagnosis of mental disorders and their classifications.
The cognitive processes that serve as the focus of treatment in CBT include perceptions, self-statements, attributions, expectations, beliefs, and images (Kazdin, 1994). Most cognitive-behavioral based techniques are applied in the context of psychotherapy sessions in which the clients are seen individually, or in a group, by professional therapists. Intervention programs are designed to help clients become aware of their maladaptive cognitive processes and teach them how to notice, catch, monitor, and interrupt the cognitive-affective-behavioral chains to produce more adaptive coping responses (Mah...
The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1992. Print.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of treatment that focuses on examining the relationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviors (NAMI, 2012). It is designed to modify the individual’s normative dysfunctional thoughts. The basic cognitive technique consists of delineating the individual's specific misconceptions, distortions, and maladaptive assumptions, and of testing their validity and reasonableness (Beck, 1970). By exploring thought patterns that lead to maladaptive behaviors and actions and the beliefs that direct these thoughts, people with mental illness can alter their thought process to improve coping. CBT is different from oth...
Identification of any psychosocial or contextual factors to be considered, as outlined in the DSM-5
Classification refers to the procedure in which ideas or objects are recognized, distinguished and understood. Currently, two leading systems are used for grouping of mental disorder namely International Classification of Disease (ICD) by World Health Organization (WHO) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders (DSM) by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Other classifications include Chinese classification of mental disorder, psycho-dynamic diagnostic manual, Latin American guide for psychiatric diagnosis etc. A survey of 205 psychiatrists, from 66 different countries across all continents, found that ICD-10 was more customarily used and more valued in clinical practice, while the DSM-IV was more valued for research [1].
WHO. 1993. The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Diagnostic criteria for research. In: WHO (ed.). Geneva: World Health Organisation.
This approach draws on the importance of early experience and how people internalize events that happened in their youth. It draws on the idea that there is a conflict between events that happened in the past and what a person is trying to accomplish in the present. The therapist is very engaged and develops a close relationship to the client, in which the relationship helps model normative relationships that the client can use to generalize. The goal of this kind of treatment is to make the unconscious conscious to the client. The hallmark of psychodynamic psychotherapy is insight and working through, in which the client has deep and reflective epiphanies about themselves. Psychodynamic therapy has also shown to be effective in the treatment of individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Schottenbauer, Glass, Arnkoff, and Gray (2008) explored the contributions of psychodynamic approach to therapy in individuals suffering from PTSD and trauma. Some of the many contributions psychodynamic treatments include addressing interpersonal issues that are a by-product of PTSD, and also addressing development. Aside of bringing unconscious thoughts forward, the therapist also watches for defense mechanisms that the client might use. These defense mechanisms are important to the therapist, because they provide insight to the person’s wishes, feelings, and impulses. A benefit to using psychodynamic treatment over other approaches is that it is better suited for handling complex cases of PTSD, as well as comorbid cases. In addition to that, because it focuses heavily on interpersonal relationships, it helps create a social support system for the client. Having social support may aid the client in recovering. In the case of Frida, a psychodynamic treatment approach would be effective. A psychodynamic therapist would establish a rapport with Frida before
Mental disorders which falls under the umbrella of Abnormal psychology can be attributed to the ability to treat and diagnose mental disorders. Based on advances such as the development of the scientific method psychologists are now able to fully and efficiently attribute the causes of mental disorders to physical and unphysical traits. The process i...