People with mild mental health problems can be diagnosed differently based on the availability of diagnostic criteria.

The idea of ​​screening people with what some consider to be less severe forms of mental health can affect how others view them as better, according to a study published in 28 August 2024 in an accessible newspaper. PLOS Mental Health by Nick Haslam of the University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues.

In recent years, there has been a general shift towards more diagnosis of mental illness. Here, Haslam and colleagues investigate the effects of screening people with mild or mild symptoms.

In this study, the symptoms were judged as mild or mild by members of the public, who gave different examples from clearly below to clearly above the diagnostic limit. of an undergraduate degree.

Haslam and colleagues provided research participants (who were US adults recruited through an online platform) with short vignettes describing people who were experiencing mild or moderate symptoms of the disease. different mental.

In Study 1, 261 participants were presented with three scripted (“This person has ___”) or unscripted vignettes depicting people with symptoms of major depressive disorder ( MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

A total of 684 participants in Study 2 were given a scripted or unscripted vignette depicting a person with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or an obsessive-compulsive disorder. binge drinking (BED).

Participants were asked about their sympathy for the person described, their support for the accommodation (eg, “This person’s employer should not hesitate to give them extra time to complete work-related tasks “), their eligibility for mental health treatment, their persistence. problems (e.g., “This person can fully recover from their problems”), and their identity (e.g., “This person’s problems are an important part of who they are” [Study 2 only]).

In Study 1, enrolled individuals tended to express more empathy and be perceived as more suitable for treatment than unenrolled individuals, but were also believed to have ongoing problems.

Study 2 differed from Study 1 in that there was no significant difference between empathy in recruits and non-recruits, but it also found that recruits were perceived as having less ability to overcome their problems. The ratings of the participants varied greatly depending on the problem described, with MDD and PTSD requiring the highest level of empathy and residential support.

The results suggest that expanded diagnostic concepts that include relatively mild symptoms may encourage help-seeking, empathy, and support, but also undermine perceived associations and expectations that problems can be overcome.

It’s important to remember that the severity of symptoms in people with the conditions mentioned in this study can change over time, and “mildness” is a matter of opinion. Furthermore, the choice to obtain or choose a certificate is personal and varies between individuals, situations and communities.

The authors add, “Using labels to diagnose relatively mild forms of distress has mixed blessings. Our research shows that it can increase empathy and support for a person, but also making their problems seem out of their control and difficult to overcome.”