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¶ … history of psychology there has been an attempt to categorize persons with mental illness and put a name to the symptoms that were presented. Whether it was Emil Kraepelin and Eugen Bleuler's systematized study of schizophrenia (dementia praecox) versus manic depressive illness or Freud's pointing to the internal conflicts of childhood as playing a causal role in psychoses, psychology has attempted to form categories of symptoms and name them (Holzman, 1996).
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has been the most recent tool used by mental health professionals to aid them in formulating a diagnosis based on symptoms presented by a patient. The process of diagnosing is an objective, essential first procedure in the formulation of a treatment plan. The diagnosis often dictates the course of treatment that will follow.
The DSM has undergone several revisions to the present day DSM IV. A revision relevant to this study is the change of diagnosis, and eventual removal of, homosexuality from the diagnostic categories. In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association (APA) removed homosexuality as a mental disorder from the classifications within the DSM II. Homosexuality remained a part of the DSM system, but was put under the alternate category called Sexual Orientation Disturbance. The diagnosis was again revised for the DSM III-R to include Ego-Dystonic Homosexuality. The DSM IV revision contains no category for the diagnosis for homosexuality. Whether mental health professionals agreed or disagreed with these revisions, all revisions pertaining to homosexuality were met with much controversy and debate (Fink, 1975; Schact, 1985; Spitzer, 1981). Despite the changing diagnosis, and eventual removal, of homosexuality as a diagnosis from the DSM, the literature indicates that negative attitudes and bias continue within the psychological community, the general population, and within the homosexual community itself. (Miguel and...
This literature indicates that these negative attitudes and biases toward homosexuality have been incorporated into the field of psychology. Homosexuals have a long history, in the literature, of undergoing differing analyses and treatments to change sexual orientation. Though homosexuality has been removed from the DSM as a diagnostic category, research continues into reparative treatments and therapies to alter sexual orientation. This research indicates a continuing bias within the mental health field toward homosexuality within treatment. Given this continuing bias it is likely not unfounded to have concerns that many people are not receiving the proper clinical diagnosis simply because they have a sexual orientation that varies from what is considered 'normal'.
Though there is literature specifically addressing the biases toward Homosexuality within the mental health field regarding treatment and diagnosis, this author has found a scarcity of research on bias in diagnosis since DSM IV, and an overwhelming scarcity of research done on diagnosis and treatment of the female homosexual. Given the scarcity of research specifically addressing bias in diagnosis since the removal of homosexuality from the DSM and since diagnosis often dictates the course of treatment to follow, additional research appears necessary to make clear mental health professionals present bias regarding homosexuality in diagnosis, specifically in the female homosexual. Since correct diagnosis leads to correct treatment, examining the biases in diagnosis regarding homosexuality is crucial.
Review
The development of identity is one of the most complicated and time consuming psychological processes that we humans experience and yet most of us do it without really thinking about it. Yet, when the identity of a person is bolstered by an individual character trait such as same gender sexual…
In the relatively recent life of modern psychology there have been many attempts to quantify and regulate or normalize diagnosis of psychological problems to such a degree that assessment, treatment and diagnosis of problems can be centered around a scientific model that is predictable and repeatable. In an attempt to legitimize the practice of psychology the disorder bible was created. The DSM began its life as an appendix to a larger work which provided classification and nomenclature for diseases of all kinds and evolved into the politically charged work that it is today through five major rewrites credited to the American Psychology Association. (Zimmer, 1999) In each subsequent carnation of the document politics and propriety are exhibited, depending of coarse upon your perspective.
As I have mentioned before in 1973 the diagnosis of homosexuality was removed from the DSM II, and then returned again with a different name, ego-dystonic homosexuality in the DSM III R, yet just as clearly the personal, societal and even professional biases that still exist within the United States culture are hard pressed to disappear. Centuries of the idea of homosexuality as deviance will not be lived down within just a few short years, regardless of how politically correct it has become to express diversity. On a personal level individual homosexual people are still regarded with contempt by many and open hatred by some. The social stratification of the "lifestyle" is still very much separatist even if a few popular television programs have made attempts to bridge the gap between, the "us" and the "other."
Through the years the DSM, and psychological diagnostics in general have made significant impact upon the work of medicine and psychiatrics, some markedly positive while others simply not, but not until some very public and obviously politically driven diagnosies were made was there any real public awareness of the internal workings
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