Abstract
The establishment of a classification of affective disorders commanding wide agreement among clinical practitioners and investigators is one of the most pressing needs of contemporary psychiatry. This group of conditions has, in recent decades, displaced schizophrenia from the centre of the clinical stage. However, despite its prominence and importance in clinical practice, the territory remains inadequately charted. There is evidence to indicate that the uncertainty about the most clear and convenient lines of demarcation within this clinical territory makes a large contribution to the unreliability of psychiatric diagnosis. Thus, in a recent enquiry (Sandifer, Pettus and Quade, 1965) into the reliability of diagnoses made in 91 first admissions to a mental hospital by ten experienced psychiatrists, it was shown that the resolution of disagreement in the areas of “psychoneurosis—affective disorder” and “psychoneurosis—personality disorder” would have raised the overall reliability of diagnosis in this enquiry from 57 per cent. to 83 per cent.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: 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.