diagnosis of mental disorders

Question 1

The four Ds

Answer 1

-Deviance

• Distress

-Dysfunction

-Danger

Question 2

A strength or the 4Ds is that using all four helps avoid erroneous diagnosis.

Answer 2

• For example. more factors than just deviance from statistical norms are considered normal when making a diagnosis.

-This avoids situations in which eccentric but harmless people are seen as abnormal, and those with common but debilitating symptoms of depression are missed.

-The importance of this is that a valid system should be neither over nor under inclusive (like this one)

Question 3

Competing Argument

Answer 3

However, there are no hard and fast rules about how to combine the Ds, .e.g someone struggling to cope (signs of distress and dysfunction), but with no signs of danger or deviance, may not require a diagnosis. It could be the situation causing the problem (so could not be resolved by treatment, which is the purpose of a diagnosis )

Question 4

A weakness is that the four Ds lack objectivity

Answer 4

-Various methods try to increase objectivity, but this is unlikely (for example because ratings are being made of feelings,

-4Ds compare individual with others, so decisions would be better if made in comparison to a reference group (more objective), not using the clinician’s view (more subjective).

-This shows that if the 4Ds are to be applied meaningfully, a clinician needs information not only about the person, but also their community.