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A survey using clinical social workers as informed observers of mental health practice provides the basis for the exploration of an unrecognized but widespread form of diagnostic error that we term "deliberate misdiagnosis." The survey found that the misuse of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3d edition (DSM-III) in under- and overdiagnosing clients is often intentional. This paper discusses the nature, rationale, context, and consequences of deliberate misdiagnosis.
Kirk et al. (1988) studied this question.