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Misdiagnosed and Misunderstood: Diagnostic Errors in Mental Health Care
Diagnosis is defined as “the process of determining which disease or condition explains a person's symptoms and signs,” but this process differs significantly between physical and mental health.
Misdiagnosed and Misunderstood: Diagnostic Errors in Mental Health Care
Mentor: Cynthia Klestinec, Ph.D.
Diagnosis is defined as “the process of determining which disease or condition explains a person's symptoms and signs,” but this process differs significantly between physical and mental health. In physical medicine, a patient may present with a fever, cough, and runny nose, and a physician is able to order tests to quickly reach a diagnosis. By comparison, mental health diagnosis is guided by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Although the DSM provides a structured framework for diagnosis, mental health diagnosis relies less on objective testing and more on patient self-report, symptom interpretation, and clinical judgment. These factors demonstrate that psychiatric diagnosis is not fully objective and is shaped by how mental health conditions are identified and classified.