The relevance of diagnosis to the epidemiology and teaching of psychiatry.

The evidence presented suggests that while there are large differences in the diagnostic practices of psychiatrists trained in the United States and Great Britain and Ireland that in general psychiatrists trained in Britain and Ireland diagnose similarly. Some evidence is also presented suggesting that these trans-atlantic differences may be reduced, at least in the short time, by medical education.The overall similarities in diagnostic habits of psychiatrists working in Ireland and Great Britain as well as between Irish trained and British trained psychiatrists emphasize the importance of investigating further the differences in diagnostic statistics generated by mental hospitals in Ireland and England and Wales.