We hear terms like ADHD, anxiety, depression, and OCD often – in fact we have all probably used these terms to describe someone’s behaviour at some point in our lives, but what does it actually mean to have a diagnosis of ADHD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder? We will get into more specifics of each of the above-mentioned concerns in weeks to come, but for now – let’s talk about diagnoses more generally so we are all on the same page.
What is a Diagnosis?
A mental health diagnosis is a label given to a person (more specifically, a child for the sake of this blog) by a Psychologist or Psychiatrist after completing a standard set of assessments and determining that the child fits the criteria of that label. Phew, that’s a mouthful! Let’s break it down.
Who can Diagnose?
Only a professional trained in diagnostic assessments can determine if your child has a diagnosis – In Ontario, these are Psychologists and Psychiatrists. Your family Doctor can also help you rule out other causes of behaviour to see if your child may fit the criteria for a diagnosis and can prescribe medication.
What happens in the Assessment?
The assessments vary depending on what you are assessing – aka what symptoms you are seeing in your child. But, in my experience observing and supporting families through the process, the assessments usually consist of questionnaires for the caregivers and teachers, conversations with the caregivers, and time with the child. They can vary in length, but from my experience, they typically consist of one or two visits of a few hours each.
What is a ‘Standardized Assessment’?
The idea of ‘standardized assessments’ is that the same questionnaires are used across professionals and have been tested to show that they can correctly identify the prevalence of symptoms of a diagnosis. So, whether you go to Psychiatrist A or Psychiatrist B to determine if your child has ADHD, the same tests would be used and these tests have been previously proven to be able to determine if your child has ADHD. Now, keep in mind, that every professional is different and human and some may have a different view of the information you share during the assessment. But, overall, the aim is that the same test can be used by different people (who are trained to use it) and produce the same result. Confused yet? Me too. Let’s keep going.
Where does the Criteria for a Diagnosis come from?
So, where does the criteria come from for each diagnosis? In the mental health world there is an enormous document called the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders”. This manual holds the specific criteria for every mental health diagnosis that is currently in practice. It gets updated every few years and we are currently using the fifth edition (known as the DSM-5).
The criteria for each diagnosis is different, but the crutch of all diagnoses is whether or not the symptoms are interfering with daily living. So, a child may have a few symptoms of anxiety and be functioning well in their day-to-day life – without school or relationships being affected. In this case, it is possible that the child may not meet the full criteria for a diagnosis of anxiety, even though she has some symptoms.
How will I know if a Diagnosis was made?
At the end of the assessment the trained professional will tell you if your child meets the criteria for a diagnosis (i.e. ADHD, selective mutism, etc.). You should also receive a written document that breaks down what was observed and what criteria are met. (This can take a few weeks to be written).
We will get into the process of obtaining a mental health assessment and what to do after a receiving a diagnosis in future posts, but until then, I hope this has been helpful in getting us all on the same page about what a diagnosis actually is (or maybe we are just more confused?). Either way…
Until next time,
Meg
References:
1. www.ontario.cmha.ca
2. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
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