Definition
As used in medicine (including psychiatry), a diagnosis is determined as part of a diagnostic process in the attempt to identify a specific disorder. Diagnoses are used in many ways and for different purposes. As both a term and a process, the issue of diagnosis is very much related to issues of classification. Indeed, the word diagnosis comes through Latin and Greek sources which have to do with understanding/distinguishing things. In clinical medicine, the assignment of a diagnosis often involves various tests, examinations, and so forth; the diagnosis typically guides treatment. In addition, diagnoses have other uses, e.g., in public health, in establishing eligibility for services, and so on. Some special issues arise with respect to psychiatric diagnosis and are discussed subsequently (see also “DSM-IV” entry).
Historical Background
Although diagnoses have been used since antiquity, it was only as the causes of various medical illness began to be identified in the 1800s...
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Volkmar, F.R. (2020). Diagnosis and Classification. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_1432-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_1432-3
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