Reliability and validity of diagnosis

• What does DSM-5 stand for?

  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition
• What are the key concepts of reliability and validity in diagnosis and classification?

  • Reliability: Consistency of a classification system
  • Validity: Accuracy of a diagnosis in representing a real disorder
  • Both are essential for effective diagnosis
• Why is reliability important in the DSM classification system?

  Because a diagnosis must be repeatable and consistent across different clinicians and times
• What is inter-rater reliability?


  It is the degree to which different clinicians reach the same conclusions when diagnosing
• How is inter-rater reliability measured?

  By a statistic called a kappa score
• What does a kappa score of 1 indicate?


  Perfect inter-rater agreement
• What was the kappa score for the diagnosis of schizophrenia in the DSM-V field trials?

  0.46
• What cultural differences affect the diagnosis of schizophrenia?

  • Significant variation in diagnoses between countries
  • Copeland (1971) study: 69% US psychiatrists vs. 2% British psychiatrists diagnosed schizophrenia
  • Cultural environment influences perceptions of symptoms like 'hearing voices'
• What did Luhrman et al (2015) find about the experiences of individuals with schizophrenia in different cultures?


  Many African and Indian subjects reported positive experiences with their voices, unlike American subjects
• What does the term 'subjectivity' refer to in the context of diagnostic tools?


  It refers to the interpretation of an individual's behavior, which can vary among clinicians
• What is criterion validity in diagnosis?

  • It assesses whether different assessment tools arrive at the same diagnosis for the same patient
  • Ensures that the diagnosis accurately reflects the disorder
• What is gender bias in the diagnosis of schizophrenia?

  It occurs when the accuracy of diagnosis is influenced by the gender of the individual
• What did Broverman et al (1970) find regarding gender bias in mental health diagnosis?


  Clinicians equated mentally healthy 'adult' behavior with mentally healthy 'male' behavior
• What did Longenecker et al (2010) find about the prevalence of schizophrenia diagnoses between genders?


  Men have been diagnosed with schizophrenia more often than women since the 1980s
• What might explain the gender bias in schizophrenia diagnosis according to Cotton et al (2009)?


  Women may function better socially, masking symptoms and leading to under-diagnosis