Psychiatric Diagnosis

Why is Diagnosis Important?

Diagnosis is important for several reasons:

1. It is often reassuring to learn that you are not the only person who has experienced the symptoms you have, and that enough other people have experienced these problems to warrant it being given a name. Many individuals are embarrassed about their symptoms and this embarrassment keeps them from seeking treatment. They think they are crazy and that no one else could possibly have the same type of problem.
   
   
2. It is often related to treatment. As more has been learned about psychiatric diagnosis during the past 10 to 20 years, more specific treatments have been developed for particular disorders or symptoms. Someone who has been hearing voices for the past four months will not receive the same treatment as someone suffering from recurrent panic attacks.
   
   
3. Diagnosis helps predict outcome. When you are sick you will probably want to know the answer to four questions: 
   1.) Will I get better? 
   2.) How much better will I get? 
   3.) How long will it take until I get better? 
   4.) After I get better how likely am I to get sick again? 
   
   The answer to these questions will differ if you have obsessive- compulsive disorder, major depression or an adjustment disorder. Many psychiatric disorders have a typical course and outcome. For example, most individuals with major depressive disorder get better whereas individuals with schizophrenia are more likely to have a chronic, debilitating illness.
   
   
4. Researchers use diagnoses to search for the causes of illness. The fundamental purpose of diagnosis and classification is to identify different diseases with distinct causes. In fact, this is the goal of diagnosis and classification in all of medicine. When the causes of illnesses are understood then successful treatment and prevention is more likely.

The diagnostic process

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