Educators, researchers, and mental health professionals note that diagnoses are most accurately made when they align with the latest academic findings and the appropriate cultural context. Image used for representational purposes only

Educators, researchers, and mental health professionals note that diagnoses are most accurately made when they align with the latest academic findings and the appropriate cultural context. Image used for representational purposes only
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

A mental health diagnosis, like any other diagnosis, would mean labelling a condition a person is dealing with. There exists, however, a debate over whether labels are helpful, or do more harm than good.

Mental health professionals commonly use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, an authoritative guide published by the the American Psychiatric Association, to categorise and diagnose mental health problems. The first DSM was published in 1952; the one currently in use is the DSM-5 TR.


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