Sociocultural factors in the psychiatric assessment of black patients: a case study

Accurately diagnosing psychiatric disorders in black patients has been a controversial subject. Criticism has been made that blacks are more likely to receive a diagnosis of psychosis, eg, paranoid schizophrenia. With proper use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III), the author anticipates greater diagnostic accuracy with blacks. The multiaxial perspectives of DSM III, particularly axis IV, help resolve some critical aspects of diagnostic difficulties. This case illustrates the diagnostic errors frequently made when variables of culture, ethnicity, and psychosocial factors are minimized.