Construct and criterion validity of the HiTOP spectra to predict dimensional and categorical somatization in a large non-western sample

The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) is a phenotypic data-driven framework for the classification of psychopathology. We tested the construct and criterion validity of the HiTOP spectra measured by the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) using exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) and hierarchical regressions both to predict somatic symptom and related disorders (SSRD) and a somatization factor. The case–control study used hierarchical logistic regressions to distinguish 257 cases with SSRD from 1007 healthy controls by both the maladaptive and the temperament factors. The extracted factors were also used in hierarchical linear regressions to predict the dimensional somatization factor. The seven temperament factors explained more variance above and beyond the five maladaptive factors when predicting SSRD (pseudo R(2) = 0.169 to 0.266 versus 0.125 to 0.196; change in pseudo R(2) = 0.055 to 0.087 versus 0.011 to 0.017). The temperament factors also explained more variance above and beyond the maladaptive factors when predicting the somatization factor (R(2) = 0.392 versus 0.269; change in R(2) = 0.146 versus 0.023). Although the HiTOP spectra measured by PID-5 are significant structures related to the categorical and dimensional measurements of somatoform, our findings highlight potential problems with both the construct and criterion validity of the HiTOP spectra.