Issues surrounding the classification and diagnosis of schizophrenia- Reliability and Validity

The best way to tackle this question is to have 3 main points
Whats the issue? AO1
Why is this an issue? AO2
What is the implication of it? AO2

Whats the issue? Lack of Inter-Rater Reliability

One issues related to the classification and diagnosis of schizophrenia is reliability. This refers to the consistency of a measuring instrument, such as the DSM or ICD that is used when classifying and diagnosing schizophrenia. Reliability can either be measured in terms of inter-rater reliability, which is the extent to which two or more independent assessors give a similar diagnosis, or in terms of test-retest reliability which is the extent to which the tests used to deliver these diagnoses are consistent over time.

Discuss biological therapies for schizophrenia

(8+16) Another one of my weaker essays but can be useful for reference.

AO1 Drugs

Drugs that are effective in  treating most disturbing forms of psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia, are called antipsychotic drugs. There are convention antipsychotics and atypical antipsychotic drugs. The basic mechanism of conventional antipsychotic drugs is to reduce the effects of dopamine and so

Discuss biological explanations into schizophrenia.

(8+16)

AO1 Dopamine hypothesis

Dopamine is one the many different neurotransmitters that operate in the brain. The dopamine hypothesis states that messages from neurons that transmit dopamine, fire too easily or too often, leading to the characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia. For example over activity in the basal ganglia

Discuss ONE psychological therapies for schizophrenia (4+8)

(4+8)
AO1

One of these therapies is CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The main assumption of this therapy is that patients have distorted beliefs that influence their behaviour in maladaptive ways. Delusions are thought to arise from faulty interpretations of events and CBT aims to correct these. In CBT, a patient is

Discuss PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

(8+16)

AO1

Many psychologists propose psychological explanations for schizophrenia. One of these explanations is that the disorder may be caused by a cognitive deficit. This theory explains schizophrenia as attention impairment, suggesting that it is caused by a defect in the patient’s ability to filter incoming information. This means that they are inundated by external stimuli, which they interpret