What is the basis of a psychiatric diagnosis?

Answer 1

Signs and symptoms are the basis of a medical diagnosis.

A medical diagnosis is determined through certain characteristic signs and symptoms which it is possible to conceive under this term.

There are medical diagnoses which are objective knowledge. These diagnoses are based on signs which it is possible to prove on a physical basis. On the other hand there are medical diagnosis which are subjective knowledge. These diagnoses are based on symptoms which it is not possible to prove on a physical basis.

Symptoms are conceived in a person`s mind1 therefore it is not possible to prove them on physical basis.

For example myocardial infarction is a diagnosis which it is possible to prove on a physical basis through evidence of characteristic electrocardiographic and laboratory findings. The same is true with pneumonia, a bone fracture and so on.

Fibromyalgia is a symptom based diagnosis as is migraine or tension headache. Such a diagnosis is based on characteristic symptoms and therefore it can not be proven on a physical basis.

1) Immanuel Kant says in his treatise Critique of Pure Reason:

"There is a great difference between a thing´s being presented to the mind as an object in an absolute sense, or merely as an ideal object. In the former case I employ my conceptions to determine the object; in the latter case nothing is present to the mind but a mere schema, which does not relate directly to an object ....".

In medicine there are diagnoses which are determined by such ideal objects and therefore a prove on a physical basis is not possible.

Answer 2

Psychological symptoms and psycho-pathological phenomena are the basis of a psychiatric diagnosis (diagnosis of a mental disorder).

(Gr. phenomenon - that which appears)

Psychological symptoms and psycho-pathological phenomena appear in a person`s mind1. Therefore such knowledge is subjective knowledge and in is not possible to prove it on a physical basis. This is the reason why a psychiatric diagnosis (diagnosis of a mental disorder) cannot be proven on a physical basis.

1) Immanuel Kant says in his treatise Critique of Pure Reason:

"There is a great difference between a thing´s being presented to the mind as an object in an absolute sense, or merely as an ideal object. In the former case I employ my conceptions to determine the object; in the latter case nothing is present to the mind but a mere schema, which does not relate directly to an object ....".