SCHIZOPHRENIA
Topic Name(s) Research
Validity in SZ Rosenhan Volunteers told to pretend of have hallucinations to be
diagnosis admitted into the hospital
Once they were, instructed them to behave normally
Wanted to see how long it'll take for doctors to realise
they weren't schizophrenic
Their normal behaviours were interpreted as abnormal
First volunteer released after 7 days
Final volunteer released after 52 days
So doctors made incorrect diagnosis and interpreted
behaviour as sz
Found doctors diagnosis lacked validity
Cultural bias in Cochrane Cochrane investigated how often people would be
diagnosis diagnosed with SZ in Britain and Caribbean
1% in Britain and Caribbean so similar
But looking at the rate within Britain, Afro Caribbean
people 7x more likely to be diagnosed in Britain than
Caribbean
Concluded they were being overdiagnosed in Britain due
to cultural bias because doctors judged using social norms
from won culture
- Ethnocentric bias
Cultural bias in Minsky et al Found that African Americans were more likely to be
diagnosis diagnosed with schizophrenic disorder than Latinos and
European Americans.
There may be a cultural problem with understanding
what is ‘normal’ behaviour because in some cultures.
In Africa, hearing voices and doing things that are
normally considered positive symptoms of schizophrenia
are more accepted than in other cultures where this is
considered bizarre and irrational.
By Rhea M.
, Gender bias in Loring and Powell Whether gender a ects diagnosis
diagnosis Doctors received a description of symptoms and some
told they were male and some told they were female
Patient always had exact same symptoms and asked to
diagnose
56% diagnosed with SZ in males
20% diagnosed with SZ in females
Displayed gender bias
Di erences were over exaggerated between men and
women - alpha bias
Inconsistent diagnosis - were not reliable
Gender bias in Cotton et al Hypothesised that women cope better with their
diagnosis symptoms because they function better and may have
more support.
They function better on an interpersonal level and may
not be diagnosed where men would be diagnosed with
similar symptoms.
Better interpersonal functioning may lead psychiatrists to
underdiagnosed women because the symptoms are
masked and buried under-functioning routines.
Some thus believe the case is too mild for a specific
diagnosis, even though men would have been diagnosed
with the same level of symptoms.
Comorbidity in Buckley 50% of SZ patients in sample also had depression
diagnosis 47% had addiction to drugs or alcohol
23% OCD
Find SZ patients had second comorbid disorder
Way doctors may categorise SZ may be wrong
Given how comorbid they are, maybe SZ and depression
aren’t 2 separate disorders and might be part of same
illness
Criteria used to diagnose SZ might lack validity
SZ may not be distinct mental disorder
By Rhea M.
Topic Name(s) Research
Validity in SZ Rosenhan Volunteers told to pretend of have hallucinations to be
diagnosis admitted into the hospital
Once they were, instructed them to behave normally
Wanted to see how long it'll take for doctors to realise
they weren't schizophrenic
Their normal behaviours were interpreted as abnormal
First volunteer released after 7 days
Final volunteer released after 52 days
So doctors made incorrect diagnosis and interpreted
behaviour as sz
Found doctors diagnosis lacked validity
Cultural bias in Cochrane Cochrane investigated how often people would be
diagnosis diagnosed with SZ in Britain and Caribbean
1% in Britain and Caribbean so similar
But looking at the rate within Britain, Afro Caribbean
people 7x more likely to be diagnosed in Britain than
Caribbean
Concluded they were being overdiagnosed in Britain due
to cultural bias because doctors judged using social norms
from won culture
- Ethnocentric bias
Cultural bias in Minsky et al Found that African Americans were more likely to be
diagnosis diagnosed with schizophrenic disorder than Latinos and
European Americans.
There may be a cultural problem with understanding
what is ‘normal’ behaviour because in some cultures.
In Africa, hearing voices and doing things that are
normally considered positive symptoms of schizophrenia
are more accepted than in other cultures where this is
considered bizarre and irrational.
By Rhea M.
, Gender bias in Loring and Powell Whether gender a ects diagnosis
diagnosis Doctors received a description of symptoms and some
told they were male and some told they were female
Patient always had exact same symptoms and asked to
diagnose
56% diagnosed with SZ in males
20% diagnosed with SZ in females
Displayed gender bias
Di erences were over exaggerated between men and
women - alpha bias
Inconsistent diagnosis - were not reliable
Gender bias in Cotton et al Hypothesised that women cope better with their
diagnosis symptoms because they function better and may have
more support.
They function better on an interpersonal level and may
not be diagnosed where men would be diagnosed with
similar symptoms.
Better interpersonal functioning may lead psychiatrists to
underdiagnosed women because the symptoms are
masked and buried under-functioning routines.
Some thus believe the case is too mild for a specific
diagnosis, even though men would have been diagnosed
with the same level of symptoms.
Comorbidity in Buckley 50% of SZ patients in sample also had depression
diagnosis 47% had addiction to drugs or alcohol
23% OCD
Find SZ patients had second comorbid disorder
Way doctors may categorise SZ may be wrong
Given how comorbid they are, maybe SZ and depression
aren’t 2 separate disorders and might be part of same
illness
Criteria used to diagnose SZ might lack validity
SZ may not be distinct mental disorder
By Rhea M.
