The Classification System Of Mental Disorders
779 Words
4 Pages
The classification system of mental disorders can affect the study of mental illnesses because each mental disorder is categorized differently, leading patients to receive different diagnoses. Two widely enacted systems for classifying mental disorders are Chapter V of the International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) produced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) produced by the American Psychiatric Association. These systems compile different categories of disorders that share similar codes. However, researchers and scientists have greatly debated these systems and questioned whether certain classifications of disorders are valid. The World Health Organization has
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Researchers such as Kraepelin argued that mental patients could be categorized under three categories, dementia praecox, manic-depressive psychosis, and organic brain disorders. These categories allowed health professionals to treat patients from all over the world with similar symptoms. The classification system also allows researchers to explain disorders, calculate outcomes, analyze treatments, and influence research into their ideas. The classification system has not only gained large acceptance in psychiatry and other fields, but it has also impacted inter-rater reliability. Some argue that the classification system is scientific, leading many researchers to trust and have faith in the …show more content…
As psychology journals continue to have greater international contributions, having two different major classification systems creates more confusion regarding diagnoses. This confusion is somewhat tempered by the fact that the DSM–IV is used more internationally with researchers than with clinicians; however, this increases the gap between international research and practice. Furthermore, although the DSM-5 is fairly atheoretical, the classification of illnesses allows it to be more openly applied to disorders and clinicians with theoretical backgrounds. However, the atheoretical classification system may fail to explain the power as to the classification of some disorders, which can affect how patients are treated. The classification system is also based on cultural factors but not all cultures. DSM-5 mainly focuses on American research; thus, illnesses from other cultures may be misrepresented and
Researchers such as Kraepelin argued that mental patients could be categorized under three categories, dementia praecox, manic-depressive psychosis, and organic brain disorders. These categories allowed health professionals to treat patients from all over the world with similar symptoms. The classification system also allows researchers to explain disorders, calculate outcomes, analyze treatments, and influence research into their ideas. The classification system has not only gained large acceptance in psychiatry and other fields, but it has also impacted inter-rater reliability. Some argue that the classification system is scientific, leading many researchers to trust and have faith in the …show more content…
As psychology journals continue to have greater international contributions, having two different major classification systems creates more confusion regarding diagnoses. This confusion is somewhat tempered by the fact that the DSM–IV is used more internationally with researchers than with clinicians; however, this increases the gap between international research and practice. Furthermore, although the DSM-5 is fairly atheoretical, the classification of illnesses allows it to be more openly applied to disorders and clinicians with theoretical backgrounds. However, the atheoretical classification system may fail to explain the power as to the classification of some disorders, which can affect how patients are treated. The classification system is also based on cultural factors but not all cultures. DSM-5 mainly focuses on American research; thus, illnesses from other cultures may be misrepresented and