What purposes do diagnostic labels used by social workers during client assessments serve? Discuss the negative aspects associated with them

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Diagnoses are labels or terms that may be applied to an individual or his or her situation. A diagnosis provides a short-hand categorization based on specifically defined criteria. Diagnostic labels serve many purposes. For example, they provide a language through which professionals and patients can communicate about a commonly understood constellation of symptoms. The use of accepted diagnostic terminology facilitates research on problems, identification of appropriate treatments or medications, and linkages among people with similar problems. The diagnosis may comfort an individual by helping "put a name to" the experiences he or she has been having. It may also help clients and family members to learn more about the condition, locate support groups, and stay abreast of developments in understanding the disorder.
However, there is a negative side to diagnoses. Although such labels provide an expedient way of describing complex problems, they never tell the whole story. Diagnoses can become self-fulfilling prophecies, wherein clients, their families, and their helpers begin to define the client only in terms of the diagnostic label. Although diagnostic labels hold a lot of power, they can sometimes be bestowed in error, and they may obscure important information about the client's difficulties and capacities.