title: Psychologists' perspectives on the diagnostic classification of mental disorders: results from the WHO-IUPsyS Global Survey.
abstract: This study examined psychologists' views and practices regarding diagnostic classification systems for mental and behavioral disorders so as to inform the development of the ICD-11 by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO and the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) conducted a multilingual survey of 2155 psychologists from 23 countries, recruited through their national psychological associations. Sixty percent of global psychologists routinely used a formal classification system, with ICD-10 used most frequently by 51% and DSM-IV by 44%. Psychologists viewed informing treatment decisions and facilitating communication as the most important purposes of classification, and preferred flexible diagnostic guidelines to strict criteria. Clinicians favorably evaluated most diagnostic categories, but identified a number of problematic diagnoses. Substantial percentages reported problems with crosscultural applicability and cultural bias, especially among psychologists outside the USA and Europe. Findings underscore the priority of clinical utility and professional and cultural differences in international psychology. Implications for ICD-11 development and dissemination are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA. spencerevans@ku.edu
authors.forename: Spencer C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Geoffrey M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Esparza
authors.forename: Ann D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.forename: João Mendonça
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maj
authors.forename: Shekhar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saxena
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011586:Psychology, Clinical; D014944:World Health Organization