S/PS/21. A critical discussion of the factors affecting the reliability and validity of psychiatric diagnosis

"Diagnosis is the Holy Grail of psychiatry and they key to its legitimation" once said the psychiatrist Joel Kovel (1980). So why, if it is such a fundamental aspect in psychiatry, has it been the topic of increased criticsm in recent times? There have especially been growing criticisms over the levels of reliability and validity of psychiatric diagnoses and serious questions have been asked about whether they are actually accurate enough. There are a number of factors responsible for this, and the aim of this essay is to gain a better insight into them and also explore a range of possible solutions to this problematic area.