Have you prepared these important questions from Block 1 Unit 2 for IGNOU MAPC MPCE011 Exam? Don't miss this chance to score good marks - get started!

Block 1 Unit 2 Classification of Psychopathology: DSM IV TR

1) Explain the meaning of classification of psychopathology.

Classification of psychopathology is the process of constructing categories of abnormal behaviours and assigning people to these categories based on their attributes and dysfunctional symptoms. It's a way to define and order behaviours so that scientists and clinicians can communicate and advance their understanding of mental disorders. The term classification in this context refers to taxonomy. It also includes nomenclature, which means the names and labels that may make up a particular disorder such as schizophrenia or depression.

2) Describe the purpose of classification of psychopathology.

Classification of psychopathology serves several key purposes:

• Communication: It provides a common language for professionals to discuss and share findings about mental disorders.
• Control: It helps in managing and organising information related to psychopathology.
• Comprehension: It facilitates a better understanding of the nature of mental disorders.
• Distinction: It allows clinicians and researchers to differentiate between different types of disorders.
• Prognosis/Prediction: It helps predict the course of a disorder and how it might respond to certain treatments. It also helps researchers identify populations with similar patterns of abnormal behaviour, which allows for the identification of common factors that contribute to those behaviours.

3) Give an account of approaches to the classification of psychopathology.

There are three main approaches to classifying psychopathology:

• Categorical Approach: This approach assumes that disorders are distinct categories with qualitative differences. An individual either belongs to a category or does not. It is based on the idea that each disorder has a unique set of causes that does not overlap with other disorders.
• Dimensional Approach: This approach quantifies cognitions, moods, and behaviours on a scale. It uses continuous dimensions, allowing for a profile of emotional functioning. The approach assumes that it is useful to focus on a specific characteristic and determine how much of that characteristic an object exhibits.
• Prototypical Approach: This approach identifies some essential characteristics of a disorder while allowing for some non-essential variations.

4) Explain the initial efforts of classification of psychopathology.

The worldwide effort for classification of diseases was stimulated by the publication of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-1 (ICD-1) by the World Health Organisation in 1900. It wasn't until ICD-6 in 1949 that a separate section on mental disorders was included.

5) Present an account of classification of mental disorders prescribed in ICD-10.

The tenth edition of the ICD (ICD-10), published in 1992, included a chapter (V), designated as F, specifically for the classification of mental disorders. This chapter explained the inclusion and exclusion terms for these disorders.

6) Explain the process of development of various editions of DSM.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, became a significant tool for classifying psychological disorders. It is now used as the handbook for diagnosing mental disorders in the United States and other countries. After the publication of its first edition, DSM-1 in 1952, five subsequent editions have been published. The current version is DSM-IV (TR), published in 2000. The text sections giving extra information on each diagnosis were updated, as were some of the diagnostic codes in order to maintain consistency with the ICD.

7) Describe the major components of DSM-IV (TR).

The DSM-IV (TR) has three major components:

• The Diagnostic Classification: This is a categorical classification system, with disorders presented as prototypes. Patients are diagnosed with a disorder if they closely approximate the prototype. Each diagnosis has a corresponding code derived from the ICD-9-CM coding system.
• The Diagnostic Criteria: These are the specific symptoms, including both inclusion and exclusion criteria, needed for a diagnosis. They provide a compact description of each disorder, increasing diagnostic reliability.
• The Descriptive Text: This section systematically describes each disorder under headings such as diagnostic features, subtypes, recording procedures, and associated features.

8) Present an account of the multi-axial approach to the classification of psychopathology as provided by DSM-IV (TR).

The DSM-IV (TR) uses a multi-axial system, with clinicians assessing an individual across five axes, providing a broad range of information about the person’s functioning:

• Axis I: Clinical disorders and other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention. This axis includes a wide range of clinical syndromes including anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.
• Axis II: Personality disorders and mental retardation. Personality disorders are enduring and rigid patterns of maladaptive behaviour that typically impair relationships with others and social functioning.
• Axis III: General medical conditions that may be relevant to understanding or treating a mental disorder.
• Axis IV: Psychosocial and environmental problems that affect the diagnosis, treatment, or outcome of a mental disorder.
• Axis V: Global Assessment of Relational Functioning (GARF), where the clinician rates the client’s current level of psychological, social, and occupational functioning on a scale of 0-100.

9) Evaluate DSM-IV (TR) with its merits and demerits.

Merits:

• The DSM has provided a common language for discussing diagnoses.
• It has increased attention to behaviours and has facilitated the overall learning of psychopathology.
• It helps with accountability, record-keeping, treatment planning, and communication among professionals.
• It aids in identifying clients with issues beyond areas of expertise.

Demerits:

• It can promote a mechanistic approach to mental disorder assessment.
• It gives a false impression that the understanding of mental disorders is more advanced than it actually is.
• There is an excessive focus on signs and symptoms, excluding an in-depth understanding of a client's problems, including human development.
• Some argue for a dimensional or complaint-oriented approach, rather than a categorical one.
• It doesn't adequately consider the context in which a person is living.
• It may produce false positives, as an individual's degree of impairment is often not correlated with symptom counts, but rather, is often stemming from various individual and social factors.
• It's been suggested that the DSM has failed to make a clear distinction between syndrome and normality.

10) Explain the meaning, purpose of, and approaches to classification of psychopathology.

• Meaning: Classification of psychological disorders refers to the process to construct categories of abnormal behaviours and to assign people to these categories on the basis of their behavioural attributes and dysfunctional symptoms.
• Purpose: It fulfils the basic purposes of communication, control, comprehension, distinction, and prognosis/prediction of psychological disorders.
• Approaches: The main approaches are categorical, dimensional, and prototypical.

11) Describe the history of classification of psychopathology.

• Early efforts include the development of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-1 (ICD-1) by the World Health Organisation in 1900. However it was ICD-6 in 1949, that had a separate section for mental disorders. The most recent, tenth edition of ICD was published in 1992 which explained the inclusion and exclusion terms.
• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, became a significant tool for classifying psychological disorders. After the publication of its first edition, DSM-1 in 1952, five subsequent editions have been published.

12) Describe the importance of ICD in the classification of psychopathology and present an account of the classification of mental disorders prescribed in ICD-10.

• The ICD (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) provided the framework for a worldwide, organised effort for classifying diseases. It is the counterpart to the DSM that is used internationally.
• The ICD-10, published in 1992, included chapter V (F), which specifically covered the classification of mental disorders. It also included an explanation of their inclusion and exclusion terms.

13) Provide a historical account of the development of various editions of DSM and describe the major components of DSM-IV (TR).

• The DSM began with the publication of DSM-1 in 1952 and has been updated with several subsequent editions.
• The current version of the DSM is DSM-IV (TR), published in 2000.
• The DSM-IV (TR) consists of three major components:
  • The diagnostic classification, a categorical system where disorders are prototypes.
  • The diagnostic criteria sets with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria.
  • The descriptive text with descriptions of each disorder.

14) Present an account of the multi-axial approach to the classification of psychopathology as provided by DSM-IV (TR).

The DSM-IV (TR) uses a multi-axial system, with clinicians assessing an individual across five axes:

• Axis I: Clinical disorders and other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention.
• Axis II: Personality disorders and mental retardation.
• Axis III: General medical conditions.
• Axis IV: Psychosocial and environmental problems.
• Axis V: Global Assessment of Relational Functioning (GARF).

15) Evaluate DSM-IV (TR) with its merits and demerits.

• Merits: Common language, increased attention to behaviour, aids in communication and treatment planning.
• Demerits: Mechanistic approach, gives a false impression of understanding, excessive focus on symptoms, categorical system questioned, context and distress levels not well-considered.