Article Analysis: Understanding Abnormality and Its Treatment

Article Analysis: Understanding Abnormality and Its Treatment: find this article. and share which argument is most convincing? Rosenhan or Spitzer? why? Do you agree with a  diagnostic system?

Article Analysis: Understanding Abnormality and Its Treatment

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find this article. and share which argument is most convincing? Rosenhan or Spitzer? why? Do you agree with a  diagnostic system? Summarize the main arguments the psychologists each make?  Please use your knowledge of what you read in chapter 1 about diagnosing and assessing to support your answer. I\’d like to hear an informed argument with lots if supports to back up what you are saying.

Understanding Abnormality and Its Treatment
The argument on whether diagnostic labels on the sanity of an individual hinder treatment attracted two conflicting arguments from D. L. Rosenhan and Robert L. Spitzer. Rosenhan argues that when a person is labeled as being schizophrenic, his behavior is usually seen to be so by the mental health worker regardless of the actual mental health state of the patient (Rosenhan, 1973). Spitzer on the other hand claims that the diagnostic labels on the patients are usually valuable and necessary with a suggestion that the experiment conducted by Rosenhan has many noticeable flaws. The Spitzer argument is more convincing than Rosenhan’s since any diagnosis made on a patient is made on basis of the behavior of that patient. It is opposed to Rosenhan’s argument that diagnosis is usually in the observer’s mind whereas, in his conclusion, he says that in the institution during the experiment psychiatrists can distinguish between insane and sane persons.
The diagnostic system facilitates the diagnosis of diseases which helps in identifying the causative factors and possible ways of treating the disorder. Diagnosing a disorder would ensure that the most effective methods of treatment are applied hence making the diagnostic system worthwhile. Diagnostic systems in the psychiatric systems are necessary for ensuring there is proper communication between the mental health professionals concerning the subject matter of the issue in their concern, a better understanding on the psychiatric illness processes and manifestations, and in monitoring the psychiatric disorders (Telles-Correia et al., 2018). Without the diagnostic system, these could not be achieved.
The main arguments drawn in the argument include Rosenhan’s argument that diagnostic labels do not serve a useful purpose particularly on the view of harm impacted while Spitzer argues that they enable psychiatrists to be able to communicate, comprehend and even control the disorders (Rosenhan, 1973).

As much as people may find the system stigmatizing, the system is very crucial to a psychiatric patient as it would facilitate an informed and effective treatment process and also would help in identifying the best treatment forms to prescribe. Moreover, the argument is on whether mental institution settings consider all behaviors abnormal, and whether the psychiatric diagnosis is in the mind of observers or based on symptoms (Telles-Correia et al., 2018). Diagnosis of any disorder is made based on reported symptoms, medical signs, and test results on a patient hence it is incorrect to rule out that a healthcare giver can diagnose based on his/her thoughts.

References
Rosenhan, D. L. (1973). On being sane in insane places. Science, 179(4070), 250-258.
Telles-Correia, D., Saraiva, S., & Gonçalves, J. (2018). Mental Disorder-The Need for an Accurate Definition. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, 64 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00064