Zhaleh BassiriRad

January 14th 2015

Part I
As the socioeconomic conditions of families living in poverty are introduced, the
diagnosis of anxiety as a psychiatric disorder within these families correlates largely with the
continuous string of problems faced by poor families. Lindsay Abrams offers ideas behind the
excessive diagnoses of anxiety as a pathological, rather than largely situation-generated, disorder
in her article Is Anxiety Overdiagnosed? Abrams points out the overlooked aspects of
socioeconomic conditions as ways that can interfere with correct diagnoses of mental illness. She
presents anxiety as a legitimate concern throughout those people faced with continuous problems
that must be solved. However, the confusion between anxiety as a mental illness and as an effect
of excessive situational problems and outside-generated worry often leaves the underlying issues
of the latter without address. Immediate declaration of this anxiety as a pathological dysfunction
leads to medical treatment, which she suggests may not be the correct approach.
Abrams provides secondary statistics generated by Judith Baer, Ph.D., based on the 2011
Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, which provided statistical information on the
mothers in these sampled poor families after a diagnostic interview for Generalized Anxiety
Disorder (GAD). The extremely common occurrence of this psychological disorder was
represented in the poorest of mothers interviewed. She also pulls quotations from a Psy.D.,
Margaret Wehrenberg, who regards the concentration of anxiety as a medicalized conversation in
these unfortunate socioeconomic conditions as the wrong focus.
Abrams proposes this question of the overdiagnosis of anxiety, yet does not make a
defined argument for herself.

Part II
Medical diagnoses have become increasingly frequent these days. However, this
statement is excessively focused on the knowledge of the United States. As a whole, the culture
has become more open to speaking about these mental illnesses, more open to finding ways to
manage them. Whether or not the concern of these diagnoses regards those of poor
socioeconomic status, it does not diminish the overall trend toward overdiagnoses.
The United States is becoming a place of acceptance, it emphasizes individuality, the
people are encouraged to have mental health evaluations if anything is seemingly going awry.
Likewise, the selection of determining a diagnosis of a client correlates to the positive enrollment
of people creating appointments with psychiatrists and psychologists. Significant advancements
in medicine provide more opportunities for treatment options. However, because of this growing
plethora of medical options, the fallback is medication. A psychiatrist cannot provide medical
scripts to any person within the cliental given the patient does not have a mental illness or
warranted disorder requiring those medications. But how do other countries deal with these
mental illnesses?
Given a lack of world cultural knowledge as a whole, the determination of these
diagnostic evaluations cannot be measured accurately for all countries. One culture, however,
provides a prospective significantly contrary to the culture of the United States. With thousands
of years of rich cultural development, Japan thrives with this unity. Interdependence, acting as a
whole, respecting everyone, even inanimate objects, are only a few aspects of this incredible
countrys ties of its people. Though, where do people find the acceptance and encouragement to
locate these individual disorders, suffering, illnesses? Generally, they do not. As a whole, the
Japanese people will lower the significance of the individual, as focus on the interdependence.
Japanese tend not to seek help. It is unacceptable. Quite taboo, even. Overdiagnoses of mental
illnesses may be an issue in this Western culture, but across the world, the contrary
underdiagnosesmay exist.