Mental disorder
“syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning” (p. 20)
Almost half of all Americans (46.4%) will meet the criteria for a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder sometime during their lives
The various disorders are catalogued and described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
standard resource for clinical diagnosis in this country. The first edition of the DSM came out in 1952 and has undergone many revisions during the last 50 years.
Purposes of diagnosis
Defines categories to give structure to research
Promotes communication among professionals
Reimbursement for 3rd party payers
Provides guideline for decisions about intervention
The diagnostic categories enable social workers to help clients, and possibly also their families, learn about the nature of the person’s problems.
DSM and Social Work
Preeminence of medical profession
State licensing exams
Social Workers in MH settings
social workers should be able to recognize the symptoms of possible disorders in their clients and appropriately refer them for treatment services.
Proliferation of DSM resources
Promotes status
How could mental disorders be classified? Etiology
Continuums
Clinical Disorders
Adjustment Disorders
Primary
+Adjustment Disorders
within 3 mos of stressor once stressor and its consequences end, symptoms must not
persist longer than additional 6 mos either symptoms:
distress that markedly exceeds what would normally be expected from such a stressor
materially impaired job, academic or social functioning
309.0 w/Depressed Mood
309.24 w/Anxiety
309.28 w/Mixed anxiety and depressed mood
309.3 w/Disturbance of conduct
309.4 w/mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct
309.9 unspecified
Acute or chronic
Adjustment Disorders, cont.
+Additional codes that are primary
No diagnosis or condition V71.09
Diagnosis or condition deferred 799.9
diagnosis first for current condition
least restrictive
when uncertain “provisional”
severity criteria
hierarchical principles medical conditions and substance use disorders preempt most pervasive disorders
Guidelines
+Secondary
disorders with more of a constitutional basis
includes the personality disorders and mental retardation.
chronic conditions
If a personality disorder is the most important reason for the client’s seeking evaluation, the social worker should add the term “principal diagnosis.”
+Medical conditions
general medical conditions
source of the information should also be listed here
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