Mental Disorders

What is a benefit of being diagnosed correctly?

A person can get the right type of treatment or medication he needs

What is a benefit of being diagnosed correctly?

A person can get the right type of treatment or medication he needs.

Most common mental illnesses

Anxiety and depression

What is a problem with DSM diagnoses that some people don't like?

Any diagnosed indicates that you have a mental illness, no matter how mild

What does the DSM allow a mental health professional do?

Diagnose psychosocial problems. Diagnose mental and clinical disorders. Diagnose developmental and learning disorders.

Making Diagnoses

Let professionals handle it.

Peter is concerned about the horrible feelings he constantly has and his tendency to always feel anxious. What is a healthy action he could take?

Listen to a mental health professional who can guide him through his troubles.

Axis 3

Major Categories: -medical conditions and physical disorders What the axes examine: -diabetes -brain injury -HIV/AIDS -cirrhosis

What do the five axes of the DSM represent?

Major categories that a mental Heath professional will use to assess a person.

Axis 1

Major categories: -clinical disorders -mental disorders -developmental and learning disorders Common disorders: -depression -anorexia -insomnia -bipolar -schizophrenia -pedophilia

Axis 4

Major categories: -psychosocial and environmental problems What the axes examine: -how severe are the stresses in a persons life

Axis 2

Major categories: -personality disorders and mental retardation Common disorders; -paranoia -antisocial -narcissism -OCD -borderline personality -mild mental retardation

Axis 5

Major category: -global assessment of functioning What the axes examine: -how functional (on a scale 1-100) is a person.

The importance of being diagnosed correctly

Psychiatrists have a rule book. It's better to be treated for the illness you have rather than one you don't.

Why won't some people get treated for mental illness, mild or severe?

Some people don't want a mental health record following them. Cultural biases prevent them from seeking help.

DSM

The "rule book" categorizes into five "axes" and each axis has a specific criteria used for diagnostic disorder.