Introduction
While reviewing the recommended readings, the title of the article, Are Children’s DSM Diagnoses Accurate?, stood out. Learning about children’s diagnoses is intriguing. Working in the social service field with child survivors of sexual and physical abuse, I oftentimes come across several children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with various disorders. The disorders that I often question most frequently are Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Bipolar. It appears to be common to label children with multiple diagnoses and provide them with a list of medications, when in my opinion; I feel it may be more beneficial to work with the child or adolescent on ways to eliminate
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or reduce symptoms that causes them to be diagnosed with some of the above disorders. My focal point will be placed on the diagnosis of ADHD, since it is the most common disorder that is seen at my place of employment. The DSM list a variety of criteria for children who experience ADHD. Under the inattention section, it list several items such as the child makes several mistakes while completing schoolwork, does not follow directions, and forgets daily activities. Under the hyperactivity section, it list items such as the child is fidgety and talks excessively. Under the impulsivity section, it makes mention that the child blurts out answers and often interrupts. As the mother of a six year old daughter, all of these appear to be common behaviors of young children. The problem I have with the DSM classifying children who exhibits these behaviors as children with mental health disorders is that the children are not given a chance to grow and mature. I personally believe the children should be presented with various options before being labeled with mental disorders and prescribed medications for conditions that may not be accurate. Summary of Essential Content/Arguments The article, Are Children’s DSM Diagnoses Accurate?, provides an overview of the accuracy of the DSM with specific emphasis being placed on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , conduct disorder (CD), and oppositional defiant disorder in children and adolescents. These three disorders are being studied due to their disruptive behaviors. The definitions of children’s disorders are examined thoroughly, and they are critiqued according to their differentiation of children with and without disorders. The clinician’s use of the DSM and their ability to determine the children who experience a disorder from the ones who did not experience disorders is evaluated on the basis of reliability. The DSM was also critiqued for validity as it related to disorders in children. New Information While reviewing this article, I found an abundance of information that I had not known about. What stuck out the most to me is that each time the DSM is revised; it is becoming easier to diagnosed children and adolescents with ADHD. This information is highly alarming due to the fact that most revisions are normally made to reduce errors in cases such as with the DSM. However, it appears that the DSM is increasing wealth for numerous pharmaceutical companies, and as a result a plethora of children and families are suffering because the mental disorders tend to follow individuals throughout their lives. The article stated that in the past, eight diagnostic criteria had to be present in order to diagnose a child with ADHD; however, that is no longer true. Only six diagnostic criteria must to be present for the diagnosis to be made. When diagnosing conduct disorder, at least three of the 15 diagnostic criteria must be present, and as a result children are over diagnosed as having mental disorders. This information is evidence that the validity of the DSM is highly problematic. The only good element that I found in regards to the DSM and the diagnoses of children and adolescents is that it does serve as a framework for professionals who have the ability to diagnose individuals who experience mental health disorders.
I do believe it would be beneficial for the DSM to work towards eliminating biases and attempt to be as reliable and valid as possible. In my opinion, the diagnostic criteria should be especially strict for children and adolescents and the criteria that I reviewed for ADHD, ODD, and CD were not as strict as I feel they should be. I also believe situations and environments should be taken into consideration before diagnoses are made. After those considerations are made, I feel the therapist or the person responsible for making the diagnosis should work with the individual or make a referral for services with someone who is willing to work with them to reduce their symptoms …show more content…
naturally. In the future, I do believe I will rely on the DSM as a reference to assist me when working with my clientele.
However, I am reluctant of utilizing the DSM because I believe there is such an increase in mental disorders in both children and adults and in my opinion, this needs to be evaluated.
I will keep the knowledge I have learned from this article and take it into consideration when in practice. I would love to advocate on behalf of the children and work to stricken the diagnostic criteria for all the children’s diagnoses, in efforts to reduce them from being labeled with mental disorders that they may not exist.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I feel as though this article has enlightened me on the accuracy of children’s diagnoses, especially ADHD, according to the DSM. This information confirmed prior opinions I held on children being over diagnosed with mental disorders. My hopes are to advocate for those who are of the vulnerable population in efforts to reduce over diagnoses of mental
disorders.
Mooney embarks on this trip, starting in LA to his first destination at Arizona, to go beyond what is normal. Starting from his own personal history at Penny Camp Elementary. As Mooney travels he meets extraordinary people labeled abnormal, whom he soon felt weren’t that abnormal at all and were only suffering labels invented by man. During these meetings with people, Mooney explains that many terms society uses today were invented around the 1950s. This is especially odd because it is used so prominently and it was not discovered too long ago. The idea behind diagnosing ADHD is lack of attention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness; these characteristics alone to base diagnosis on is vague and leaves room for many mistakes, which have been evidently made countless of times. Mooney in his explanation of these labels shows that characteristics deemed inappropriate in society leads to the belief of mental incapabilities, which can only give those diagnosing the belief that anyone with these symptoms is broken. What is eventually understood is that, alth...
...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
While the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association) put forth a list of behaviors which predominantly fall in the category of ADD and/or ADHD, many researchers still maintain that there is no set way to diagnosis or develop a treatment program to these disorders which will be guaranteed to work. At the same time there is another set of researchers who maintain that these disorders actually do not exist at all. However, in the real world, parents and educators still continue to struggle with the task of coping with children who are hyperactive and who have very low attention span and whose behavior often interferes with schooling and family life. [Armstrong, 1997]
Stolzer, PhD, J. M. (2007). The ADHD Epidemic in America. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 9, 109-116.
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).
Problem: The prevalence for mental disorder is one in five (Insel, 2013). Brain disorders are usually not diagnosed until later in life with the onset of a change in behavior, consequently it is the last sign of a mental illness (Insel, 2013). Significant change can be made if we assist young children and their parents manage difficulties early in life may prevent the development of disorders. Logically once mental illness develops, it becomes a regular part of your child 's behavior and more difficult to treat (NIH, 2009).
ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a psychological disorder prone to ethical issues within its treatments through the use of Methylphenidate otherwise known as Ritalin, Ritalin is the current leading form of pharmacological treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and there has seen a dramatic increase in prescription rate over the past ten years, which have raised some ethical issues with its prescription. There are no present biological basis for ADHD diagnosis results in physicians making their diagnoses based on behavioural symptoms such as hyperactivity and inability to focus. Considering that these symptoms are behaviours that anyone may express at one point in their life, the risk of over-diagnosis of the disease increases. This may subsequently lead to over-prescription of Ritalin. Diagnosing ADHD is particularly difficult in young children as its symptoms are based on judgements of behaviour relative to other children who portray ‘normal behaviour’, however the symptoms of ADHD can be seen as normal behaviour for children as it normal for some children to be hyperactive. A review of prescription data for 300,000 children ages 19 and younger showed that, for the first time in history, spending for medications for childhood behaviour problems was more than the expenditure on any other child drug category, including drug like antibiotics. This evidence raises concerns over the possibility of Ritalin and its over-prescription for ADHD, especially in children as the disorder is mainly seen in childhood. Defining ADHD is still subjected to debate, and it has been observed that diagnosis of the disease is increasing as the diagnostic criteria changes, thereby leading to an over-diagnosis ...
Caplan, P. (2012), Psychiatry’s bible, the DSM, is doing more harm than good, The Washington Post, 27 April.
According to a variety of clinical studies appearing in various peer-reviewed journals, only 8% of children and 5% of adults have ADHD, but 21 to 45% of all criminals in US prison have ADHD (Quily.) One of the most prevalent mental conditions in children, ADHD is also one of the fastest growing mental health problems for school-age populations (Wolfe.) Its occurrence appears to be anywhere between 2 to 10% of children in school, and corresponds to 7.4% of parents with children ages 3-17 indicating that they have been notified that their child has this condition. As a result, treatment numbers for ADHD have dramatically increased over the last few decades; ADHD is more commonly diagnosed in boys than girls although there are no discernible disparities in diagnosis by race. A great deal of research has focused on short-term consequences of this condition on school-age children, including an increased...
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders. ADHD is a broad term, and the condition can vary from person to person. There are an estimated 6.4 million diagnosed children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition is also known as attention deficit disorder (ADD), though this is considered an outdated term. The American Psychiatric Association released the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) in May 2013. The DSM-5 changed the criteria necessary to diagnose someone with ADHD.
The first thing that I will be addressing is the elements of pathos on the CDC website on ADHD. Pathos is the appeal to the readers emotional side. The website does this in many ways. One way that it appeals to the readers’ pathos is through the pictures that are presented on the website. One of these pictures is on the treatment page about ADHD. It depicts smiling parents with a child that is holding up a paper labeled with an “A+”. With many children dealing with ADHD, trouble in school is a major factor. This picture provides hope to the parents, caretakers, and teachers of a child with ADHD that educational success is indeed possible. Another picture offers something quite different, though. On the facts page of the website, there is a picture of a child messing around in class, clearly distracting the other children and not getting work done. This picture shows what untreated ADHD can be like in the educational setting. In on...
...Odar, C., Canter, K. S., & Roberts, M. C. (2013). Future Directions for Advancing Issues in Children’s Mental Health: A Delphic Poll. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22(7), 903-911.
Schwarz Alan and Cohen Sarah. “More diagnosis of ADHD causing concerns.” The New York Times 31 March 2013. Print.