OCR Psychology A Level Book 2 sample

check your understanding 1. How are mental health disorders diagnosed? 2. How does DSM-5 differ from previous editions? 3. Briefly outline the three sections of DSM-5. 4. Outline who the ICD-10 is used by and for what purposes. 5. What does the ICD include that the DSM doesn’t? 6. Identify which chapter of ICD-10 is of interest to psychologists and give examples of the content of this chapter. 7. Identify which organisations produce the DSM and the ICD. DSM History of the DSM DSM stands for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . The first DSM was based on a classification system used with soldiers in the Second World War and released in 1952, so is much more recent than the original ICD. The current edition was released in May 2013 and is the fifth edition of the manual, developed by the American Psychiatric Association ( DSM-5 ). Unlike the ICD, the DSM only contains mental illnesses as opposed to both mental and physical illnesses. Over the different editions there have been many changes, for example premenstrual dysphoric disorder now appears in DSM-5, and homosexuality was categorised as a mental health disorder in DSM-I and was then removed in DSM-III. DSM-5 is the standard system for classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States rather than throughout the world, where the ICD is used. DSM is also used in research studies worldwide as the preferred standard. The previous editions used Roman Numerals to indicate which edition it was (I, II, III, IV), but the most recent edition uses a standard number (5). DSM-5 Like the ICD, the DSM undergoes reviews and developments, so that changes to disorders and their descriptions can be included. The latest edition, DSM-5, is arguably the biggest change in DSM since it began in 1952, with developments based on the large body of research that has been conducted since the previous edition in 2000. Some of the biggest changes between DSM-IV and DSM-5 are in categorisations such as removing the sub-types of schizophrenia, and removing the types of autism . The structure of the book itself has changed a lot, removing the ‘multi-axial’ system that it used to have. This multi-axial system was a way of ensuring holism of diagnosis, as clinicians rated the individual on factors like physical ailments and global functioning. DSM-5 lists around 300 disorders. It is divided into three main sections: Section I Introduces the new style of DSM, describes the process of revising the DSM and how the current manual can be used. Section II Includes 20 categories of disorders, including depressive disorders, schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, and anxiety disorders. It also includes categories such as substance-related and addictive disorders, gender dysphoria and eating disorders. Within each category the disorders are listed in lifespan order—that means the relevant disorders that might appear in childhood come first in each chapter. Many disorders now come with a spectrum of severity that previous editions did not have. The American Psychiatric Association argues that this addition of severity ratings will lead to more valid and reliable diagnoses, with fewer ‘not otherwise specified’ diagnoses. Section III Provides assessment tools for specific disorders and for disorders in general. Interestingly in this section there is discussion of cultural concepts of disorders to reduce cultural bias in the DSM. This section also proposes an alternative way of classifying personality disorders for further discussion. Finally this section includes disorders that appear to exist, but need further research in order to establish the reliability and validity of their diagnosis. Examples of such disorders are Internet Gaming disorder and Caffeine Use disorder. Develop a list of similarities and differences between DSM and ICD. Follow a structure that fits the exam technique: 1. Say what the similarity or difference is. 2. Explain that point / provide a point of evaluation. 3. Give a clear example from one diagnostic manual. 4. Use a connective word. 5. Give a clear example from the other diagnostic manual. The ICD and the DSM contain descriptions, symptoms and other criteria for diagnosing mental disorders. Such manuals do not aim to explain why a disorder might occur. DSM and ICD should not be used to try to ‘self-diagnose’. If you are concerned about yourself or other people, contact your doctor. 15 Background: Categorising mental disorders