Problem:
Respond to: (100 words) including in paragraph citations using same reference.
Psychopathology, as defined in the textbook, is the study of diagnostic mental health disorders using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Health Disorders (Gray, 2024). The study and knowledge of mental health disorders is imperative to our professions, as we encounter several individuals from a variety of backgrounds throughout our careers. Understanding the diagnosis of mental health disorders and the effect mental health has on different aspects of an individual's life helps us provide competent care and implement effective interventions to treat such individuals. This knowledge and practice directly relate to our ethical commitment to providing competent practices, as stated in the NASW Code of Ethics (NASW, 2021). While social workers have been providing mental health care for several years, diagnosing and understanding mental health illnesses is needed now more than ever. In the textbook, it discusses the effect of COVID-19 on individuals, and how it influenced the development of depressive and anxiety disorders among adults and children due to the disruptions and stress associated with the pandemic (Gray, 2024). The DSM-5 provides social workers with the diagnostic criteria of specific mental health disorders to properly diagnose mental illness. The DSM-5 provides a list of symptoms associated with a mental illness, and the social worker can compare the symptoms an individual is showing with the DSM-5 criteria to provide a diagnosis. However, as social workers, it is also important to consider the systemic perspective we are taught in school. Sometimes, it seems that the DSM-5 wants us to "check boxes". We must remember how an individual's experiences are also shaped by their environment, relationships, and culture. Perhaps a system an individual is a part of is not adequately meeting their needs, contributing to the development of symptoms. Treating the symptoms may be ineffective if the system that is failing to meet their needs is not changed. As a social worker, being mindful of such things is important to consider when diagnosing mental illness. Need Assignment Help?
Gray, S. W. (2024). Psychopathology: A competency-based assessment for social workers (5th ed.). Cengage Learning.