Nearly Half of Psychiatric Patients Receive a Different Diagnosis
Psychiatrists often see that diagnoses can change over time, and this is backed by a new study from Denmark.
The study found that almost half of psychiatric patients receive a different diagnosis within ten years of their first one.
These findings can potentially inform better treatments and evidence-based follow-ups, said Associate Professor Anders Jørgensen, one of the researchers behind the study.
A Dynamic View of Mental Disorders
“Mental disorders are dynamic. They change over the course of a life,” said Jørgensen, explaining the often fluid nature of psychiatric conditions.
The study tracked the diagnostic development of more than 180,000 psychiatric patients in Denmark and found a significant degree of diagnostic change.
Common Diagnoses and Their Probable Development
Three of the most common diagnoses studied were depression, addiction, and stress reaction disorder.
For patients initially diagnosed with a single depressive episode, 60% were diagnosed with a new disorder within 10 years, including periodic depression (20%), stress disorder (10%), and personality disorder (6%).
Among those diagnosed with an addiction, 52% received a new diagnosis within a decade. In the stress reaction disorder category, 36% were diagnosed with a new disorder within ten years.
Predicting Diagnostic Changes
The study also outlined the probable and improbable developments for the 20 most common mental diagnoses.
The most uncertain diagnoses, meaning those most likely to change, were acute psychosis, addiction, and depression.
In contrast, functional disabilities, eating disorders, and sexual disorders with no physical cause were among the least likely to change.
Implications for Patient Care and Treatment
These results could be beneficial right from the moment a patient receives their first diagnosis.
Having data on the likely diagnostic trajectory can enable doctors to plan the right course of treatment and give patients a clearer picture of what they can expect.
Limitations of the Study
It’s worth noting that the study only includes patients treated in the psychiatric healthcare system. Patients who are treated by general practitioners and referred to psychologists were not part of the study.
Depression: The Most Uncertain Diagnosis
Among the most common diagnoses analyzed, a single episode of depression had the highest risk of leading to a new diagnosis within ten years.
However, most of these patients were subsequently diagnosed with periodic depression, which is recurring bouts of depression.
These data may aid in the development of better treatment strategies for people experiencing their first depression.
Study Methods and Publication
Using Danish register data, the researchers analyzed the diagnostic trajectories of 184,949 psychiatric patients aged 18 years or more.
They employed sequence analysis to understand how the patients’ diagnoses had changed since the first diagnosis.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about 6 daily habits to reduce stress & anxiety, and B vitamins could help prevent depression and anxiety.
For more information about mental health, please see recent studies about a big cause of depression in middle-aged and older people, and results showing a drug that can reduce depression and suicidal thoughts.
The study was published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
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