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Main > Specialty Areas > Psychiatry >
Diagnosis of Schizophrenia
As with many mental illnesses, the diagnoses can often vary from psychiatrist to psychiatrist. Some studies have shown that up to two-thirds of all initial diagnoses of schizophrenia that classify it into a particular type can be incorrect. That is because the diagnosis usually comes from a psychiatric evaluation of the sufferer when he or she seeks treatment or is brought into the hospital involuntarily during a severe psychotic episode. The symptoms are either observed or oftentimes even described by the patient himself. Obviously, not all symptoms are apparent during an evaluation and of course, a sufferer may not be able to correctly describe his symptoms, especially in a severe psychotic state.
However, a correct diagnosis is very important because it will allow a treating specialist to fashion a combination of medications that will be effective for a particular individual afflicted. Thus, an initial diagnosis is usually re-evaluated and re-confirmed during the course of treatment and subsequent visits to a psychiatrist.
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