III. Classification
Psychologists and psychiatrists have classified psychological disorders into categories. Classification allows clinicians and researchers to describe disorders, predict outcomes, consider treatments, and encourage research into their etiology. Insanity Insanity is not a diagnostic label that psychologists use. Rather, it is a legal term that refers to the inability to take responsibility for one’s actions. The law does not consider most people with psychological disorders to be insane. People can use an insanity defense only if they were unable to distinguish right from wrong at the time they committed a crime. The DSM Psychologists and psychiatrists use a reference book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to diagnose psychological disorders. The American Psychiatric Association published the first version of the DSM in 1952. It has been revised several times, and the newest version is commonly referred to as the DSM-V. The DSM-V uses a multi-axial system of classification, which means that diagnoses are made on several different axes or dimensions. The DSM has five axes:
Psychologists and Psychiatrists People sometimes use the words psychologist and psychiatrist interchangeably, but they are not the same. Psychologist is a broad term that refers to anyone with advanced training in psychology who conducts psychological testing, research, or therapy. A psychiatrist has a medical degree and treats patients with mental and emotional disorders. A psychiatrist can also prescribe medication. Criticisms of the DSM Although the DSM is used worldwide and considered a very valuable tool for diagnosing psychological disorders, it has been criticized for several reasons:
Culture and Psychological Disorders Most of the major disorders listed in the DSM are found worldwide, although cultural factors often influence the symptoms and course of disorders. Culture-bound disorders, on the other hand, are limited to specific cultural contexts. They may or may not be linked to DSM diagnostic categories. One example of a culture-bound syndrome described in the DSM is dhat, a condition that occurs in India and is characterized by anxiety, hypochondria, discharge of semen, whitish urine color, weakness, and exhaustion. Similar conditions exist in Sri Lanka and China. |
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