Assignment
This module taught you that considering the whole person when diagnosing is a vital component of the diagnostic and treatment process. However, before a counselor can assess a person, it is important for him or her to consider all the factors that can potentially influence the diagnosis; in other words, the counselor must understand how to utilize an integrative approach and why this multidimensional approach is beneficial. For example, a client comes in for an assessment, complaining of irritability; however, you do not assess for potential medical conditions that could influence the diagnostic process. You provide counseling, but the counseling does not work because the person has a medical condition, Diabetes Mellitus Type I, that was not stabilized. In this instance, you would have attempted to treat a medical condition with mental health treatment. When situations such as these arise, a counselor must be aware of the different factors that can influence symptoms presentation in order to effectively diagnose and treat individuals.
To ethically diagnose a client, the assessment process needs to be comprehensive and integrate all factors that may influence the diagnostic process. A counselor should always be mindful of the impact a diagnostic label can have on a person and discuss this with the client. In addition, a counselor must be aware of the pros and cons associated with diagnostic labeling and the roles of emotion and stress. This assignment will explore the use of a multidimensional approach, the differences in the types of classification systems used by the DSM, and the roles of emotions and stress in psychopathology.
Tasks:
In a minimum of 300 words, post to the Discussion Area your responses to the following:
• Identify and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of psychiatric diagnosing and mental illness labels.
• Discuss why using a multidimensional perspective is important when diagnosing.
• Discuss the roles of stress and emotions and how they influence medical conditions.
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.