Abstract
The study provides first data on reliability of expert psychiatric opinion under regulations of the German state run pension scheme. 22 experienced psychiatrists judged very heterogeneously on a hypothetical case suffering from recurrent depression of moderate severity. Diagnosis according to ICD-10 led to six different diagnoses. 32 % produced the most probable ICD-10 diagnosis, 86 % a second diagnosis and 32 % a third. In their final socio-medical verdict eight experts found an early retirement on medical grounds to be unjustified, four experts thought the insured member incapable of working at all and ten believed she was able to work 4-6 hours a day. Contrary to wide held believes concerning "lax" psychiatric experts our sample revealed the experts to be "tough". This high variability of expert opinions is, however, unacceptable for members of the German state-run pensions schemes.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
