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The Reliability of Psychiatric Diagnosis: Some New Thoughts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

P. Ley*
Affiliation:
University of Liverpool Department of Psychiatry, 6 Abercromby Square, P.O. Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX

Extract

The literature on agreement between psychiatrists on the diagnostic assignment of cases has been extensively reviewed by Ley (1970). Percentage agreement figures ranged from 24 per cent and 28 per cent agreement for type of character disorder and type of neurosis respectively to 80 percent for type of organic illness. Taken at face value these findings suggested that psychiatric diagnosis may often be of little value.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1972 

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References

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