Turku [Finland] According to a recent study in Finland, people often receive inaccurate information about depression. Researchers say that people find it more difficult to understand the reasons for their discomfort due to false information.
Most mental health diagnoses are only descriptive. For example, a diagnosis of depression does not identify the underlying reason; rather, it describes the range of psychiatric symptoms. However, depression is often talked about as a condition characterized by low mood and other symptoms.
Researchers describe this as a form of circular reasoning, meaning that psychiatric diagnoses are often talked about in a circular way, as if they were describing the causes of symptoms. This makes it difficult for people to understand your distress.
"Depression should be considered a diagnosis similar to a headache. Both are medical diagnoses, but neither explains what causes the symptoms. Like a headache, depression is a description of a problem that can have many different causes. A diagnosis of depression does not explain "The cause of depressed mood does not explain the cause of headache any more than a diagnosis of headaches," said Jani Kajanoja, a postdoctoral researcher and physician specializing in psychiatry at the University of Turku in Finland. .
This misconception is also perpetuated by mental health professionals, a recent study from the University of Turku and the Helsinki University of the Arts shows.
In the study, researchers analyzed publicly available information on depression provided by major international health organizations. The researchers selected the websites of English-speaking organizations whose information on depression was the most influential, according to search engine results.
The organizations included the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS), and Harvard and Johns Hopkins universities, among others.
Most organizations describe depression on their websites as a disorder that causes symptoms and/or explains what causes the symptoms, although this is not the case. Neither organization presented the diagnosis as a pure description of symptoms, as would have been accurate.
"Presenting depression as a uniform disorder that causes depressive symptoms is circular reasoning that blurs our understanding of the nature of mental health problems and makes it more difficult for people to understand their distress," Kajanoja said.
Researchers suggest the problem may be due to cognitive bias.
"People seem to have a tendency to think that a diagnosis is an explanation, even when it is not. It is important that professionals do not reinforce this misconception with their communication and instead help people understand their condition," stated professor and neuropsychologist Jussi. Valtonen of the Helsinki University of the Arts.
Most mental health diagnoses are only descriptive. For example, a diagnosis of depression does not identify the underlying reason; rather, it describes the range of psychiatric symptoms. However, depression is often talked about as a condition characterized by low mood and other symptoms.
Researchers describe this as a form of circular reasoning, meaning that psychiatric diagnoses are often talked about in a circular way, as if they were describing the causes of symptoms. This makes it difficult for people to understand your distress.
"Depression should be considered a diagnosis similar to a headache. Both are medical diagnoses, but neither explains what causes the symptoms. Like a headache, depression is a description of a problem that can have many different causes. A diagnosis of depression does not explain "The cause of depressed mood does not explain the cause of headache any more than a diagnosis of headaches," said Jani Kajanoja, a postdoctoral researcher and physician specializing in psychiatry at the University of Turku in Finland. .
This misconception is also perpetuated by mental health professionals, a recent study from the University of Turku and the Helsinki University of the Arts shows.
In the study, researchers analyzed publicly available information on depression provided by major international health organizations. The researchers selected the websites of English-speaking organizations whose information on depression was the most influential, according to search engine results.
The organizations included the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS), and Harvard and Johns Hopkins universities, among others.
Most organizations describe depression on their websites as a disorder that causes symptoms and/or explains what causes the symptoms, although this is not the case. Neither organization presented the diagnosis as a pure description of symptoms, as would have been accurate.
"Presenting depression as a uniform disorder that causes depressive symptoms is circular reasoning that blurs our understanding of the nature of mental health problems and makes it more difficult for people to understand their distress," Kajanoja said.
Researchers suggest the problem may be due to cognitive bias.
"People seem to have a tendency to think that a diagnosis is an explanation, even when it is not. It is important that professionals do not reinforce this misconception with their communication and instead help people understand their condition," stated professor and neuropsychologist Jussi. Valtonen of the Helsinki University of the Arts.