Utilization of the ICD-10 and DSM-IV diagnostic criteria in Nigerian mental health system: An ethno-cultural investigation

The ICD and DSM manuals evolved from European and North American symptomology and nosology, and their clinical appropriateness in non-Western countries like Nigeria is the purpose of this research. Nigerian psychiatrists (n = 37) and clinical psychologists (n = 17) participated in this survey investigation by rating the effectiveness of the ICD and DSM in determining diagnostic impressions among patients whose psychiatric symptoms manifest differently from White Anglo-Saxon patients. This study consisted of professionals trained in medical and psychological intervention and treatment of mental disorders. Most of their professional training was based on Eurocentric categories of behavior. This study confirms that although the ICD and DSM are commonly consulted in Nigeria, somatization or comorbidity of somatic and physic expressions are commonly observed. Use of the ICD and DSM to diagnose Nigerians was found to be significantly ineffective and the possibility of misdiagnosis is apparent. Incidentally, no known process has been initiated to modify these manuals for adaptability to Nigeria's cultural environment.