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Psychopathology and Classification

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International Perspectives on Psychotherapy

Abstract

Psychopathology is generally defined as psychological, behavioral, or social dysfunction that is atypical and maladaptive, and which causes clinically significant distress or impairment in multiple domains of life. The aim of this chapter is to give an overview of psychopathology by reviewing its history and introducing the basic diagnostic criteria for a broad range of mental disorders. Throughout this review, we will focus on the main classification systems currently used in clinical research and practice, namely the DSM-5 and the ICD-10. The chapter opens with the history of the classification of psychopathology, describing how humans have changed from seeing mental illness as an expression of supernatural powers, to viewing it as a set of disorders that can be distinguished and defined. We will then discuss the development of the DSM and ICD classification systems, and how the diagnostic criteria contained in these manuals have gradually changed in accordance with advancements in psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacologic research. This section also includes a discussion of the ways in which these diagnostic systems represent a unified perspective of psychopathology across cultures, as well as the cross-cultural differences in how societies perceive and treat mental disorders. The core portion of the chapter describes the main psychopathological categories and disorders, providing a review of diagnostic criteria, clinical features, prevalence rates, and any cultural considerations or distinctions relevant to the particular disorder.

We conclude by discussing novel methods of classifying and diagnosing mental illness, and present areas for future research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 648 Beacon Street, 6th Fl., Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Sharon Eldar Ph.D., Angelina F. Gómez & Stefan G. Hofmann Ph.D.

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  1. Sharon Eldar Ph.D.
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  2. Angelina F. Gómez
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  3. Stefan G. Hofmann Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Stefan G. Hofmann Ph.D. .

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  1. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Stefan G. Hofmann

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Eldar, S., Gómez, A.F., Hofmann, S.G. (2017). Psychopathology and Classification. In: Hofmann, S. (eds) International Perspectives on Psychotherapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56194-3_1

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