Psychological diagnosis, rooted in the medical model, continues to dominate the field of mental health conceptualisation and treatment planning, and attracts stigma from individuals and mental health professionals. The Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) offers an alternative to mental diagnosis by providing a different way to formulate patterns of emotional distress, experiences and behaviour. The aim of this cross-sectional survey study was to use vignettes to compare 107 trainee psychologists’ perceptions of a mental health client using a traditional diagnostic framework and the PTMF. Specifically, these included perceptions of willingness to work with the client, perceptions of recovery and the attributions of causal beliefs of the client’s difficulties. Results indicated that participants in the diagnostic group were more likely to attribute the client’s difficulties to genetic causes and a chemical imbalance, and less likely to attribute these to the client’s upbringing. Participants were more willing to work with the client if they believed the client had a better chance of recovery. These findings indicate the need to change how psychology trainees are educated about diagnosis and recovery to include broader interpretations of the causes of mental health difficulties, and to see recovery as more than a reduction of symptoms.
Download the full article (PDF)