Re-evaluating disability assessment in war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

Abstract

The possibility for war veterans to obtain the right to disability and financial compensation due to a diagnosis of PTSD might interfere with the proper diagnostic assessment and thus the treatment outcome. During the procedures for the obtention of these rights, exaggeration or simulation of symptoms are common. The quality of the diagnostic assessment of PTSD can be improved by applying evidence based standardized procedures.

Diagnostic error in mental health: a review

“…Studies use similar approaches to reappraising prior mental disorder diagnoses with the aid of structured diagnostic interviews such as the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI),24–26 Mini Neuropsychiatric Inventory (MINI),27–32 Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID),33–36 or population-specific37 or disorder-specific38 interviews. Others report re-review of medical records to confirm diagnostic criteria 39–41.…”

“…In this study, most discrepancies between clinician and team consensus diagnoses were attributable to missed diagnoses (ie, diagnoses not noted by the original clinician but subsequently assigned by team consensus). 23 Studies use similar approaches to reappraising prior mental disorder diagnoses with the aid of structured diagnostic interviews such as the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), [24][25][26] Mini Neuropsychiatric Inventory (MINI), [27][28][29][30][31][32] Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID), [33][34][35][36] or population-specific 37 or disorder-specific 38 interviews. Others report re-review of medical records to confirm diagnostic criteria.…”