Title
No Blood Test for Bipolar, No Dura Mater Scan for Depression: Accuracy in Diagnosing Mood Disorders
Date of Award
2023
Document Type
Project
College/School
College of Nursing
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Project Mentor
Bonnie Bowie
Readers
Malia Alexander
Abstract
Misdiagnosis of mental illness is a regular phenomenon that occurs in therapy, nursing, psychiatry, and primary care (McIntyre, 2022; Wolkenstein et al., 2011). Mood disorders are the most common category of mental health disorders, with depression being the leading cause of worldwide disability (WHO, 2017). Mood disorders are misdiagnosed at a very high rate, with 70% of bipolar parents being diagnosed with another disorder, and depression garnering false positive and false negatives by general practitioners at rates of 69% and 65%, respectively (Aznar-Lou, 2019; Fernandez, 2010; Shen et al., 2018). Psychopharmacology is the most common treatment for mood disorders provided by psychiatrists, primary care, and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners. Parents misdiagnosed and treated for a mental illness they do not have can exacerbate symptoms including depression, delusions, mania, and hallucinations, and may lead to recurrent episodes, rapid cycling, mixed states, hospitalization, and suicidality (Leung & Palmer, 2016).
Recommended Citation
Patterson, Duane, "No Blood Test for Bipolar, No Dura Mater Scan for Depression: Accuracy in Diagnosing Mood Disorders" (2023). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 89.
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/dnp-projects/89