Healthcare professionals utilize diagnostic labels in their classification of individuals for treatment and research purposes. The labels allow professionals and researchers to assume that all the group members have similar illnesses regardless of whether there is some variability in the presentation of symptoms or other circumstances surrounding the illness. Diagnostic labels provide a way for clinicians to understand a large amount of information. The labels also provide a convenient way of describing patients including the presentation of symptoms that may also imply the expected course and prognosis. They may also point towards specific interventions that may improve or prevent the condition (Garand et al. 3).
Despite all their benefits, labels also serve as cues to signal stereotypes. The negative consequences of using diagnostic labels may arise through two psychological processes. For instance, an individual diagnosed with a neuropsychiatric disorder might be affected by the cultural ideas associated with those illnesses such as dangerous or incompetent. Such an individual may end up fostering negative feelings of self. These personally relevant cultural meanings may transform to expectations that others will reject them. Such expectations can trigger defensive behaviors with the aim of preventing that rejection. It may result to uncooperative behaviors in terms of learning about or joining in research studies. All in an attempt to avoid the stigma accompanying the diagnostic labels (Garand et al. 4).
Stigma associated with diagnostic labels of dementia and mild cognitive impairment, for example, can have a substantial harmful effect on interpersonal relationships, interactions with the health care community and participation in clinical research. The impact of the stigma may also extend to family caregivers of individuals bearing such labels. Research has presented strategies for addressing stigma-related barriers in clinical research on conditions like dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (Garand et al. 5).
Works Cited
Garand, Linda, Jennifer H. Lingler, Kyaien O. Conner, and Mary A. Dew. “Diagnostic Labels, Stigma, and Participation in Research Related to Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment.” Research in Gerontological Nursing 2.2 (1999): 112-121. Print. 9 Dec 2014. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864081/pdf/nihms192038.pdf
