Contextual factors and reactive disorders in the International Classifcation of Functioning, Disability and Health

Abstract

A person’s functioning is conceived as a dynamic interaction between the individual’s health condition and contextual factors, according to the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) (WHO 2001). For reactive disorders, contextual factors are the sine qua non for establishing a diagnosis of the disorder because they represent the complete background of an individual’s life and living. Hence, reaching a diagnosis and formulating a case of a reactive disorder may be accomplished only by eliciting the impact of the contextual factors on the patient. As seen in Fig. 1, functioning is affected by both environmental factors and personal factors which make up the full range of contextual factors that modify the patient’s functioning.

The views expressed in this chapter are the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the US Department of Health and Human Services or the World Health Organization.