The need for a category of ‘religious and spiritual problems’ in ICD-11

The World Health Organization’s International Advisory Group for the Revision of ICD-10 Mental and Behavioural Disorders is currently working on the development of ICD-11 (World Health Organization, 2007). A more responsive ICD coding system should incorporate recent work which suggests that the religious and spiritual domain is important for a comprehensive, culturally sensitive diagnosis and management plan (e.g. Sims, 1992, 2004; Koenig et al, 2008). A ‘religious or spiritual problems’ category, similar to that in DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), should be included in ICD-11.