SCHIZOPHRENIA - CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS (Part2/4) - (Issues surrounding it's classification and diagnosis)

General evaluation on classification and diagnosis C.R.A.P 

C - ommunication shorthand

Disadvantage: Dominance of the medical approach can be challenged, it is reductionist and determinist. Szasz believes the myth of mental illness encourages us to interpret problems with stressful living as if they were illnesses.

Response to criticism: Szasz views are not accepted by many psychologists, schizo is a distinct syndrome which has little support for the idea that it can be the result of stressful living.

R - esearch (provides reliability)

Disadvantages: Cultural considerations, Western based classifcation systems have questionable validity in other different cultures.

Response to criticism: Schizo and depression occur universally, the classification system aims to identify disorders across different cultures.

A - etiology (causes can lead to preventative measures)

Disadvantages: Issues with social control, dues to cases of abuse to diagnostic system, in the soviet union, politcal dissidents were classifed as mentally ill.

Response to criticism: Cases like this are rare however important as clinicians use psychatric diagnosis carefully and appropriately.

P - rognosis and treatment can come from diagnosis 

Disadvantages: Issues with social stigma, diagnosing can take away the uniqueness of the patient who has a individual set of difficulties, this  leads to stigma where a person with a mental illness is wrongly judged as dangerous, unemployable etc.

Response to criticism: people with mental disorders were stigmatised long before diagnosis existed.…