Joe has been diagnosed by his psychiatrist as having an anxiety disorder.His psychiatrist prescribes a medication that has been found to help reduce anxiety.Joe takes the medication, but his anxiety level does not improve at all.Because an anxiety medication did not work, Joe concludes that his psychiatrist must be wrong and that he, Joe, must be suffering from some other disorder.What is the problem with Joe's conclusion?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Joe is falling prey to the patient uniformity myth, which suggests that all individuals who share the same diagnosis should respond in a uniform manner to the same treatment. This is not always the case, as individuals vary in their response to treatment due to differences in genetics, biology, environment, and other factors. Just because the medication did not work for Joe does not mean that he has a different disorder; it may simply mean that he needs a different treatment approach that is tailored to his specific needs.

Joe Has Been Diagnosed by His Psychiatrist as Having an Anxiety