Taxonomy and utility in the diagnostic classification of mental disorders.

OBJECTIVE: One strategy for improving the clinical utility of mental health diagnostic systems is to better align them with how clinicians conceptualize psychopathology in practice. This approach was used in International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11) development, but its underlying assumption-a link between taxonomic "fit" and clinical utility-remains untested. METHODS: Using data from global mental health clinician samples (combined N = 5404), we investigated the association between taxonomic fit and clinical utility in mental disorder categories. RESULTS: The overall association between fit and utility was positive (r = 0.19) but statistically not different from zero (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.06, 0.43) in this small sample (N = 39 ICD/DSM categories). However, a positive association became clear after correcting for outliers (r = 0.34 [0.05, 0.58] or higher). Further insights were apparent for specific diagnoses given their locations in the scatterplot. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest a positive link between taxonomic fit and clinical utility in mental disorder diagnoses, highlighting future research directions.

Personality Functioning and Mentalizing in Patients With Subthreshold or Diagnosed Borderline Personality Disorder: Implications for ICD-11.

The 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (ICD-11) defines personality disorder according to personality functioning, which relates to self- and interpersonal functioning. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between mentalizing and personality functioning in patients with subthreshold or diagnosed borderline personality disorder. A total of 116 eligible participants were included. Mentalizing was assessed using the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ), personality functioning (self- and interpersonal functioning) was assessed using the Level of Personality Functioning Scale-Brief Form 2.0 (LPFS-BF), and borderline severity was assessed using the Zanarini Rating Scale (ZAN-BPD). Mediation analysis was employed to test if mentalizing accounted for the relationship between borderline severity and self- and interpersonal functioning. We found a significant relationship between borderline severity and both subscales of the LPFS-BF. Mentalizing fully and significantly mediated the relationship between borderline severity and interpersonal functioning. However, mentalizing only partly mediated the relationship between borderline severity and self-functioning. Controlling for the covariates gender and age did not impact the results. Mentalizing is likely to be involved in the ICD-11 model of personality functioning, especially interpersonal functioning. This could emphasize the relevance of therapy aimed at strengthening mentalizing abilities when treating personality pathology in general and people with borderline personality disorder in particular. However, self-functioning may be more nuanced, as aspects other than mentalizing also influence self-functioning. The study is explorative in nature and has methodological limitations that require caution in the interpretation and generalizability.

The Natural Course of Chronic Pain in a General Population: Stability and Change in an Eight-Wave Longitudinal Study Over Four Years (the HUNT Pain Study).

Epidemiological studies have to a little extent addressed the potential fluctuations of chronic pain over time, and there is a lack of information about the long-term course of pain using repeated measurements. We wanted to identify different trajectories of pain during 8 waves of follow-up over 4 years among individuals in the general population reporting pain lasting at least 6 months at baseline. Secondarily, we wanted to investigate whether biopsychosocial factors at baseline were associated with the different pain trajectories. Longitudinal Latent Class Analysis was performed to classify a random sample of 1905 participants from a larger population-based study (HUNT3) into groups based on their longitudinal pain severity reporting. A five-class solution gave the best fit. The terms chosen to describe the pain trajectories were: "fluctuating" (n = 586 [31%]), "persistent mild" (n = 449 [24%]), "persistent moderate" (n = 414 [22%]), "persistent severe" (n = 251 [13%]), and "gradual improvement" (n = 205 [11%]). In a multinomial logistic regression model using "gradual improvement" as the reference category, the "persistent moderate", "persistent severe", and "fluctuating" pain groups were associated with chronic widespread pain, elevated levels of catastrophizing, and poorer mental health. The "persistent mild" group was associated with sleep difficulties only. This study finds that although most individuals have a stable pain course, individuals in the largest distinct trajectory reports pain that fluctuate between mild and moderate levels, thus fluctuating under and above the chronic pain definition using moderate pain or more as a criterion. PERSPECTIVE: When examining the long-term course of chronic pain in the general population, 5 trajectories emerge. Although most individuals have stable pain, the largest distinct trajectory fluctuated under and above the chronic pain cut-off, using moderate pain or more as a criterion. A dichotomous categorization of chronic pain may be overly simplistic.

Content comparison of assessment tools of activity and participation, and quality of life: based on ICD-11 and ICF / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo encode and analyze the measurement items of major activity and participation function assessment tools and quality of life assessment tools using International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). MethodsRepresentative tools in the activity category, comprehensive activity and participation category, as well as quality of life assessment tools were selected for analysis of their measurement structures and content. Based on the ICF linking rule and content matching method, the concepts of measurement items in various tools were matched with ICF categories, analyzing the relationships between the content of measurement items and the concepts of ICF categories, and then coded in ICF and ICD-11. ResultsMeasurement tools in the activity category, such as Barthel index (BI) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), were primarily standardized activity assessment tools in medical, rehabilitation, and community settings. The measurement was conducted through direct observation of activity function and semi-structured interviews with individuals or their caregivers, with 25 to 60 minutes. Most measurement tools were standardized reference tools. Assessment tools related to overall functioning in the activity and participation category, such as 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), World Health Organization Quality of Life-Disability (WHOQOL-DIS) and World Health Orgnization Disability Assessment Scheme 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) were norm-referenced assessment tools applicable in medical, rehabilitation, education, and social service contexts. The measurement was carried out by professionals through interviews and observations, or completed by the assessed individuals through self-administered questionnaires, with a measurement duration of 30 to 60 minutes. In terms of measurement content, IADL and BI mainly focus on activities of self care and functional activities, corresponding to ICF categories such as mobility (d4), self-care (d5), and domestic life (d6). SF-36 primarily covers general tasks and demands (d2), communication (d3), mobility (d4), self-care (d5), and domestic life (d6). WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-DIS items related to general tasks and demands (d2), communication (d3), mobility (d4), interpersonal interactions and relationships (d7), and community, social, and civic life (d9). WHODAS 2.0 was the most comprehensive measurement tool covering all nine domains of activity and participation in the ICF. ConclusionThis study amalyzed the structures and contents of items of six assessments tools using ICF nomenclature, terminology, codes and linking rules. WHOQOL-BREF, WHOQOL-DIS and WHODAS 2.0 are comprehensive functioning evaluation tools, covering all nine ICF domains of activity and participation, as well as quality of life and well-being.