A Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology Can Transform Mental Health Research



Conway, Christopher C, Forbes, Miriam K, Forbush, Kelsie T, Fried, Eiko I, Hallquist, Michael N, Kotov, Roman, Mullins-Sweatt, Stephanie N, Shackman, Alexander J, Skodol, Andrew E, South, Susan C
et al (show 31 more authors) (2019) A Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology Can Transform Mental Health Research. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE, 14 (3). pp. 419-436.

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Abstract

For more than a century, research on psychopathology has focused on categorical diagnoses. Although this work has produced major discoveries, growing evidence points to the superiority of a dimensional approach to the science of mental illness. Here we outline one such dimensional system-the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP)-that is based on empirical patterns of co-occurrence among psychological symptoms. We highlight key ways in which this framework can advance mental-health research, and we provide some heuristics for using HiTOP to test theories of psychopathology. We then review emerging evidence that supports the value of a hierarchical, dimensional model of mental illness across diverse research areas in psychological science. These new data suggest that the HiTOP system has the potential to accelerate and improve research on mental-health problems as well as efforts to more effectively assess, prevent, and treat mental illness.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: mental illness, nosology, individual differences, transdiagnostic, Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology, HiTOP, ICD, DSM, RDoC
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 14 May 2021 15:50
Last Modified: 18 Jan 2023 22:47
DOI: 10.1177/1745691618810696
Open Access URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC64975...
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3122736