ISSUES IN DIAGNOSIS: CO-MORBIDITY, CULTURE AND GENDER BIAS AND SYMPTOM OVERLAP

Reliability and validity in diagnosing schizophrenia remain challenges due to issues like co-morbidity, where symptoms overlap with other conditions such as bipolar disorder or depression, complicating accurate diagnosis. Cultural and gender biases also affect validity, with cultural differences in symptom expression and clinician interpretation leading to over- or under-diagnosis in certain groups. Symptoms overlap with other disorders, like schizoaffective disorder, further reducing diagnostic precision, and highlighting the need for consistent and objective classification systems