How accurate is diagnosis?
From the book – Chapter 33: How Mental Health Conditions Are Assessed and Diagnosed
How accurate is diagnosis?
There is no blood test for most mental illnesses. Doctors agree well on some diagnoses, such as autism or schizophrenia, and less well on others, such as anxiety or some personality disorders. Asking for a second opinion is normal, especially if treatment is not helping.
Read the full chapter – Chapter 33: How Mental Health Conditions Are Assessed and Diagnosed
Stories from real life
- Eleven Questions, One Long Breath – Nomvula, forty-one, had put off her first appointment with a psychiatrist in Durban for six months. She was afraid the doctor would judge her or write…
- Seventy-Four Per Cent on the Internet – Aiden, twenty, a university student in Melbourne, found a video called 'Signs you have ADHD' and a quiz that gave him a score of seventy-four per…
- Thyroid, Not Just Nerves – Marta, thirty-eight, an accountant in Warsaw, had been anxious for months. Her heart raced, her hands trembled, she lost weight, and she could not concentrate at…
- A Diagnosis That Changed – Hamid, twenty-seven, from Birmingham, was diagnosed with depression two years ago after a long low period. A medicine helped for a few months. Then he suddenly…
More on this topic: What is mental health? A simple guide to the mind and who can help
More questions
- Understanding and living with a diagnosis – explained simply
- Common reactions – understanding and living with a diagnosis
- Questions to ask your clinician – understanding and living with a diagnosis
- Privacy and sharing – understanding and living with a diagnosis
- Understanding labels: helpful and harmful – mental health assessment and diagnosis
- What is the difference between screening and diagnosis?
- Assessment of children and young people – explained simply
- Understanding digital tools and apps – mental health assessment and diagnosis
- What is true: A diagnosis is best described as…?
- What is true: A mental-health assessment usually includes…?
- Psychologist, psychiatrist or counsellor – what is the difference?
- Early warning signs of mental distress