Abstract

A review of mental health practitioners' decision-making biases is presented that integrates the diverse literature in the area. Previous reviews have considered only the effects of single biases and have not looked at multiple biases in mental health practitioner decision-making. The biases are reviewed relative to a four stage schema of clinical judgment input, processing, output-action, and feedback. Each stage is influenced by background variables that are also reviewed, including the effects of client biases, oversights, clinician mood, theoretical orientation, values and setting on diagnosis and clinical judgment. This review points to the immediate need for changing practice and for additional research.