Diagnostic Error in Mental Healthcare Common but Not Well Defined

https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/topics/dx-safety-mental-health-bmjqs.pdf Diagnostic error is well understood to be a problem in mental healthcare, but there is a lack of consensus on how to conceptualize, define and measure errors in diagnosis, according to an AHRQ-funded review published in BMJ Quality & Safety. Researchers summarized the state of research on diagnostic errors in mental health and identify opportunities to align future research with the emerging science of diagnostic safety. They found that few studies used clear definitions or frameworks for understanding diagnostic error in mental health, but several studies of missed, wrong, delayed and disparate diagnosis of common mental disorders have identified various avenues for future research and development.