Similarities and Differences in Patient Evaluation by U. S. and U. K. Psychiatrists

Comparisons were made between evaluations of 23 U. S. patients by 33 U. S. psychiatrists and eight U. K. psychiatrists. The most striking finding was that the U. S. psychiatrists reported almost twice as many symptoms as the U. K. group. Two possible explanations are offered. Also, the U. K. psychiatrists tended to report more symptoms that "overshoot the mark" such as elation, while reporting much less underactivity (dependence, indecisiveness) than did U. S. psychiatrists.