What is involved in the diagnosis of psychological disorders?
Psychologists and psychiatrists use interviews, testing and sometimes brain scanning to determine if anyone suffers from mental illness. Usually, if patients ask for help with a particular symptom or problem, they will cooperate and the diagnosis of psychological disorders is relatively smooth. In other cases, the psychologist will have to be a somewhat detective that sorts the information obtained in the evaluation. Although most evaluation methods are quite effective. Failure to take into account the culture of man or rely only on the interview can lead to incorrect diagnosis.
Initially, the psychologist acquires the patient's history and asks questions about the patient concerns. It is important that the physician obtains a thorough medical history and psychological history and know what drugs the patient is taking. The psychologist will carefully listen to patterns in the patient's responses and described the feelings and thoughts that May point out the diagnosis of psychological disorders.
vzThe patient's sought and behavior will also be carefully observed. A desperate person who seems intact with poor hygiene or special clothing could not take care of himself. Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders often cause the suffering to represent a flat effect or dull behavior and thought and speech patterns that are usually not found in healthy people. Abuse of addictive substances is a separate problem, which can also cause these symptoms and requires very specific treatment. A patient who is unable to express what harasses him can be a candidate for further medical and psychological testing.
The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM), a often updated reference book, is usually consulted to solve symptoms that may point to a certain disorder. Tests such as Minnesota Multiphassic Persoinventář Nalita (MMPI), Test Thematic Apperception (TAT) and classic test Rorschach Inkblot evaluate the finer features of personality and psychopatology. Once the diagnosis of psychological disorders is achieved, the psychologist can begin or recommend the course of treatment, usually including therapy and sometimes medicines.
The conversations themselves are not reliable indicators in the diagnosis of psychological disorders. In criminal cases, there were cases of defendants who were capable of convincing false illnesses through initial assessments until their experiments thrown more thorough analysis. A narrow focus on biology and biochemistry can cause doctors to misinterpret symptoms that have a cultural or religious element or cause. Some genetic disorders are also predominant in people with a particular inheritance.