Issues in diagnosis

• What is co-morbidity?


  One or more disorders occur simultaneously with SZ
• What issues does co-morbidity raise?

  Issues with descriptive validity
• What percentage of SZ patients had an additional mental disorder according to Sim?


  32%, making it had to achieve a reliable diagnosis
• What did Goldman find about co-morbid depression?

  50% of SZ patients had it
• What do some practitioners argue about co-morbidities?

  They are subtypes of SZ
• How is there gender bias in SZ diagnosis?

  There are 50% more male sufferers than female sufferers
• What did Castle find about gender bias?


  Using more restrictive diagnostic criteria, actual cases in females were 2x more than reported
• What can women develop?

  Post-menopausal SZ
• How is the cultural bias in SZ diagnosis?

  Afro-Caribbean people are more likely than white people to be diagnosed and put in mental hospitals with SZ
• What did Ineichen find about the amount of black people in mental hospitals?


  32/89 in a ward in Bristol were non-white, greater than the amount in general society, suggesting culture bias
• Why are more black people diagnosed with SZ?

  In some cultures hearing voices and ancestor communication is encouraged, so if someone comes to a Western culture and does this they may be seen as schizophrenic
• What is an issue with culture bias?

  Someones ethnicity will make it more or less likely that an individual will be diagnosed with SZ
• What is symptom overlap?


  When two or more conditions share symptoms
• Who found SZ and cocaine use have symptom overlap?

  Serper (1999)
• What did Ketter find about symptom overlap?


  May be due to delay in receiving treatment - more depressed leading to increased levels of suicide
• How can we distinguish between SZ and bipolar disorder?

  SZ patients see a decrease in grey matter when bipolar do not
• What is a positive of symptom overlap?

  Gene therapies to help both disorders can be developed