The writer will focus on summarizing the article “Controversies in Psychiatry and DSM-5: The Relevance for Social Work (Occasional Essay), written by Jill Littrell & Jeffrey R. Lacasse
The article addresses controversies that the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder (DSM-5) is currently undergoing. It describes the importance of the clarity that mental health professionals should have when using the DSM-5 when diagnosing a patient. There is a high rate of diagnosing and medicated treatment for depression and pre psychosis especially among children. The high rates of diagnosing and treatment, as well the reports of patients stating that the prescribed medication is not serving them well have caused many controversies. It is believed that there is an unhealthy relationship between psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry, which can be the cause of many children who receive Medicare or Medicaid are more likely to receive prescriptions for antipsychotics than privately insured children due to its high cost.
Why is this Article important to Social Workers?
The article focuses in the importance of professionals including social workers, becoming aware of the high rates of patients getting wrong diagnoses and treated when diagnosed with the DSM-5. This article is important to social workers because the DSM-5 is highly used in the social work field. As social workers it is important to be aware and understand what the DSM-5 provides for one. Professionals that use the DSM-5 should use it very carefully to avoid diagnosing a patient incorrectly. The DSM-5 can be a guide to diagnosis but social workers are educated to meet ones patients where they are an it is important that one focuses on other symptoms that in many cas...
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...to work with the patient. Even though I will not be prescribing medication to my patients I will advocate for the vulnerable population. For example, it is upsetting to hear that children in foster homes are being treated with medication and taken advantage off instead of finding other resources to help them deal with their trauma.
The statements that I read in this article will only make me a better social worker. The DSM-5 makes everything clear for us to understand the specifiers of the disorders. It is my job to pay attention to the patient’s behavior and current situation to be able to understand and rule out any other issues that the patient might have. This article makes it clearer for one as a professional to gather enough history before diagnosing because I am not sure what environmental has caused the patient to fit into a certain disorder category.
When we see patients, we must remember that we are not simply treating a disease. We are caring for people with lives, hobbies, jobs, families, and friends, who are likely in a very vulnerable position. We must ensure that we use the status of physicians to benefit patients first and foremost, and do what we promised to when we entered the profession: provide care and improve quality of life, and hopefully leave the world a little better than it was
Understanding psychological disorders are very important in human development, the first step is to define what is meant by a disorder. How do psychologists determine that there something is psychologically wrong with a person? What behaviours are abnormal? A psychological disorder, also known as a mental disorder, is a pattern of behavioural or psychological symptoms that impact multiple life areas and/or create distress for the person experiencing these symptoms. A clear sign of abnormal behaviour or mental state is when an individual's behaviour is destructive to themselves or their social group, such as family, friends. Above all psychological disorders create a maladaptive pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that lead to detriments in relationships and other life areas. There are several ethical issues in treating psychological disorders. There two ways of treating psychological disorders through; psychotherapy this form of treatment involves social interactions between a trained professional (therapist) and client. This is delivered on a one-to-one, face-to-face meeting. Another way of treating psychological disorder is through pharmacological treatments. This is the use of proactive drugs to treat certain disorders. This essay will aim to highlight the pros and cons of using pharmacological and psychological treatments.
...s that the DSM can also falsely determine ones specific mental health, showing the struggle between diagnosing someone with genuine disorders and excessively diagnosing individuals.
Frances, A., & Ross, R. (1996). DSM-IV case studies a clinical guide to differential diagnosis. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc.
Identification of any psychosocial or contextual factors to be considered, as outlined in the DSM-5
Their dedication and hard work have been combined together in the new edition DSM-5 that defines and classifies mental disorder in order to improve treatment, diagnoses and research. DSM-5 has no greater changes from DSM-IV-TR. However, there are some new disorders introduced and reclassified. The multiaxial system has been removed in DSM-5 because Axis I, II and II have been combined into the descriptions of the disorders. DSM-5 approved the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a self-report scale develop based on data. DSM-5 focuses to make better characterize symptoms for groups of people who are seeking for clinical help. These symptoms were not defined well in DSM-IV and are less likely to have access to the
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the issue of children being medicated with powerful psychotropic medications. Psychological disorders, such as bipolar disorder, that were once believed only to effect adults, are now being diagnosed in children, and those children are, more often than not, now being treated with medications. The number of children being diagnosed and treated with psychotropic medications has rapidly increased in recent years. A report issued by Medco Health Solutions in 2010 states that the number of children being prescribed psychotropic medications doubled from 2001 to 2010. Psychotropic medications can be defined as "any medication capable of affecting the mind, emotions, and behavior"(medicine net). The classes of psychotropic medications are; Stimulants, such as Adderall- prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Antidepressants, such as Prozac- prescribed for depression, Anti-psychotics such as Haldol - prescribed for behavioral disorders, and Mood Stabilizers, such as Depakote - prescribed for bipolar disorders. These medications have been shown to "stunt growth, cause obsessive behaviors, suppress spontaneity, and cause children to become depressed and less social"(Breggin, 2009). This paper will discuss what research suggests about the potentially negative effects of these medications on a child’s physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development. In addition, this paper will also examine the potential reasons these medications are increasingly prescribed, and alternative treatments for some of the psychological disorders that these kinds of medications are prescribed for.
The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1992. Print.
According to the FDA, about 2.5% of children and around 8% of adolescents are affected by depression (Temple). A common way to treat depression is by taking antidepressants. Children and teens have also been prescribed antidepressants for various reasons other than depression such as OCD and anxiety disorders. While it is legal for teenagers and children to take antidepressants, many people are concerned with the issues that taking antidepressants have. Children and teens should be allowed to take antidepressants only when other forms of therapy don’t work. Antidepressants are serious drugs that have severe warnings when children and teens use them. There is also an increased risk of worsening depression and suicide in children and teens, especially in the when they begin to take it. Even the less severe side effects can make quite a negative impact on life.
The DSM-V plays a huge role in the classification and treatment of somatoform disorders. It was not until this model that somatoform was not just one category, but had multiple sub-categories under it. With all of this being said, the DSM-V has gotten multiple hits of hard criticism that the new edition has a lack of scientific evidence for specific classifications, and unclear boundaries between every day stressors, and a classified “illness.” However, with constant progress, new information, new disorders and treatments, the DSM, no matter what version, will always take criticism for one thing or another (McCarron, 2013).
Caplan, P. (2012), Psychiatry’s bible, the DSM, is doing more harm than good, The Washington Post, 27 April.
These disorders are distressing to the individuals who experience them and they have a variety of detrimental side effects on the individual and on others. These behavioural and mental health problems are barriers for successful community placement and integration; they increase support needs; they are associated with physical restraints and pharmacological interventions; they impact family by causing stress and by imposing financial sacrifices and can weigh on staff time, energy and morale (Rojahn, Rowe, Kasdan, Moore & van Ingen, 2011).
There are many people with this illness that is quite hard to diagnose. Unfortunately, these people are seeking a little kindness and attention, while, in the meantime, they are at possible risk to themselves. Most of the studies show that the cause of onset of this disorder begins with the patient’s childhood and being abused or rejected.
Certain practical issues need to be considered by the clinician during the assessment of MDD, (Dozois & Dobson, 2009). Depressed individuals tend to express their problems in a detailed manner when they are aware of what is expected from them during initial phase of assessment. Warning depressed clients about the possible interruptions at the initial phase along with providing them rationale helps to improve the effectiveness of the assessment (Dozois & Dobson, 2009). As depressed individuals tend to commit cognitive bias (Dozois & Beck, 2008), it is necessary to determine the actual impairment by evaluating patient’s daily routine in terms of different areas of functioning. Each diagnostic criteria needs to be addressed in number of ways (Shea, 1988). Sometimes, the patient describe their symptoms in more idiosyncratic way. So, the clinician needs to translate those concerns in to the nosological system (Dozois & Dobson, 2009). Bolland & Keller (2009) emphasize the need to assess the number of previous episodes and their duration because this information is one the predictor for risk of subsequent relapse (Solomon et al, 2000). Dozois & Dobson (2009) have reported to rely upon information related to previous episode carefully as the client may commit the reporting bias. The reporting bias can be reduced by ensuring that the patient understands the time frame to which he or she refers (Dozois & Dobson, 2009) and providing contextual cues to the patient’s memory (Shea, 1988). The information related to previous treatments, medical history, patient’s motivation for change, etc. may help in identifying resources for change (Dozois & Dobson, 2009). It is also helpful to assess client’s strengths which will help in formulating...
It can be very difficult to treat a patient when the cause of their illness is unknown or when the illness itself is difficult to understand. It is for this reason that mental health professionals need to categorise mental disorders as clearly and concisely as possible.