One of your authors once attended a training session where the instructor shared that they did not believe in the dsm or in usin
g diagnoses. This person believed that diagnoses were much like rumors, that they had the potential to lead toward specific beliefs and assumptions about a person. And like rumors, they may also lead to negative biases. Rumors aside, what are some ways that psychological diagnoses may inadvertently lead to prejudice? in extreme cases, how might they lead to discrimination? are there any specific diagnoses that may be more prone to negative biases, particularly by those not familiar with psychology?.
Based on the information given, the biggest disadvantage of assigning a diagnosis is that it can be stigmatizing and bring about a negative bias for the client.
For the patient, it should be noted that facing prejudicial attitudes or biases can lead to shame and lowered self-esteem.
A typical stereotype that is associated with those with mental illness is that they're irresponsible and unreliable. Among all the mental illnesses, schizophrenia is most negatively perceived in my view. Such people having it may be more prone to negative biases.
