Psychological testing may be experienced by each of us. Of course, this is not referring to professional tests such as the Depression Self-Rating Scale (SDS) and the Anxiety Self-Rating Scale (SAS), but rather to such tests as:
Test how strong your heart is?
How's your recent peach blossom luck?
Which hand to extend first to test your character
......
Although we know that these tests are for entertainment only, sometimes when we see the results, we often have a feeling of being "right".
The reason for this is actually called the "Barnum effect", and people will think that those general and general personality descriptions reveal their own characteristics very accurately.
And those descriptions usually apply to the vast majority of people.
So why can psychological assessments such as depression and anxiety be used to assess our physical and mental state?
Today, I will talk to you about the unreliability of psychological assessment commonly used in medicine, and what is the significance of diagnosis and testing.
01Dependent is depression, anxiety and other psychological tests reliable?
Let's talk about the conclusions first, and then talk about other aspects:
Any psychological test, including the so-called professional diagnostic DSM-5 (American Diagnostic Criteria for Mental Disorders) or ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) criteria that can be found online, is for informational purposes only.
The assessment of psychological abnormalities is very different from the diagnosis of general diseases.
For example, heart disease, fractures, arthritis, etc. can be tested by biochemistry, but psychological problems can not, generally speaking, brain scans, brain transmitter tests to help judge psychological problems.
02What is the significance of diagnosis and testing?
Why do we have to go to the hospital for diagnosis?
1 Solve the suffering of "nameless"
The word "nameless" suffering may be difficult for ordinary people to understand.
However, if you are very uncomfortable, miserable, depressed every day, insomnia, emaciated, and go to the hospital for examination but there is nothing wrong, how will you feel about yourself at this time?
At this point, if you go for a psychological test, the doctor tells you, don't worry too much, you are depressed, your performance is only because you are sick.
Then will you feel that you have found the problem in an instant, relaxed and relieved? What about moving from the pain of self-doubt to understanding depression and solving it?
This is one of the meanings I recommend that you actively treat psychological problems and make psychological diagnosis.
2 Misdiagnosis of psychological problems, the impact is not large
The misdiagnosis of psychological problems is not particularly influential in actual treatment.
Because the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems are often two paths, although diagnosis and treatment options are increasingly combined, there are still some gaps.
If we look closely at the applicability of psychotropic drugs, we will find that many times the drugs given to anxiety and mania and schizophrenia patients may be the same, but the diagnostic criteria are not the same.
In addition, medication does not necessarily have side effects, and different people may react differently to the same medication.
Most of the adverse reactions of drugs will be alleviated after a period of dosage or drug adjustment.
If you feel bad after taking the drug, we should immediately ask the attending doctor, and many times it can be relieved by adjusting the dose or the type of drug.
3How do counselors use the test?
In psychological counseling, in view of the client's situation, the client's intelligence and personality will be identified by means of psychological testing.
Sometimes, it may be that the visitor or his or her family members will offer to do so.
At the same time, the client's psychological development level, mental health status and psychological characteristics are evaluated as a task involved in psychological counseling.
Through psychological tests and evaluations, it can help the counselor to promote the client to have a deeper understanding of himself, so as to make the most of his strengths and avoid weaknesses, learn from his strengths, and change himself and develop himself in a targeted manner. Note: Click "Psychological Assessment" to answer your psychological confusion online for free!