Psychiatric diagnosis: impersonal, imperfect and important.
Psychiatric diagnosis is in the spotlight following the recent publication of DSM-5. In this article we consider both the benefits and limitations of diagnosis in psychiatry. The use of internationally recognised diagnoses, although insufficient alone, is part of a psychiatrist's professional responsibility to provide high-quality, evidence-based care for patients.
Nick Craddock, PhD, FMedSci, FRCPsych, Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff; Laurence Mynors-Wallis, DM, MRCP, FRCPsych, Alderney Hospital, Poole, Dorset, UK.
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D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000639:trends*