August 30, 2016
(Newsweek) – The problem is that mental health diagnosis has essentially remained unchanged for 100 years, relying on symptoms and clinical interviews. Mental disorders lack what most other health diagnoses rely on: biological markers. A tumor seen on a scan, bacteria identified by a throat culture, a fracture captured on an X-ray: They’re all clear signs something is wrong. Mental health disorders are difficult to diagnose even by the most well-trained, well-meaning psychiatrists, because all they have to go on are questions and, sometimes, answers.
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