Externalising and emotional categories, diagnostic groups and clinical profiles

BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that gains would be made in the validity of the psychiatric classification system if many of the present 'neurotic' or personality disorders were subsumed into two over-arching groups, externalising and emotional disorders. If diagnostic sub-categories from the first digit coding structures within ICD-10 do, in fact, share clinical phenomenology that align with the major externalising/emotional distinction, this further supports the proposal and contributes to face validity. The aim of the study was to examine the distribution of particular psychopathology within and between two proposed over-arching groupings - externalising and emotional disorders - in a clinical sample. METHOD: The distributions of HoNOS derived information in relation to the proposed clusters of emotional disorders and extrinsic disorders are examined. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in profiles between the emotional and the externalising groupings are consistent with the proposed classification development. The HoNOS (Health of Nation Outcome Scale) measures of self harm, depression, aggression, occupational/leisure problems and drug and alcohol consumption are the five most significant discriminators between the two groups. DISCUSSION: The details of the profile differences within the two over arching groups suggest that further examination is required. Useful work could include examination in credibly large and unselected patient populations of the factor structure demonstrated in non patient samples. Prospective comprehensive trials of the contributions the proposed classification could make to clinical decision making would also help illuminate this area.