Need for Classification of Psychopathology

 Introduction

          Classification is also known as ‘taxonomy’. It is an objective platform for understanding natural phenomena. It’s a kind of common language that offers scope for wider usage, comparison, analysis, share and reporting. A classification involves clustering information according to logical rules (Jakob, 2017). Classification helps in breaking down broad subjects into smaller, more manageable, more specific subcategories. This helps in standardization and systematization of the nomenclature.

 

Purpose of Classification

The classification serves the following purposes: -

(i)       Communication

(ii)      Control

(iii)     Comprehension

(iv)     Distinction

(v)      Prognosis/prediction

 

(i)      Communication - Communication means the act of sharing, exchange of

information, ideas or findings. Communication helps in disbursing:

Ø  Research findings,

Ø  Prevalence of a disorder

Ø  Characteristics of a disorder

Ø  Probable interventions

(ii)     Control - Control means keeping something within limits or forcing someone to behave in a desired way. Control offers scope in:

Ø  Studying a disorder in laboratory,

Ø  Finding exact cause of disorder

Ø  Circumventing the

Ø  interference of other variables

Ø  in effecting the cause

Ø  Improving the objectivity

Ø  Prevention of effect of biases

(iii)    Comprehension - Comprehension means understanding the disorder in its totality i.e., emotional expression, thinking pattern and behavioural manifestation:

Ø  Duration of suffering,

Ø  Pinpointing the event

Ø  responsible for the disorder

Ø  The extent to which it

Ø  impairs day-to-day activities

Ø  Probable factors responsible

Ø  for disorder

Ø  Severity of the disorder

Ø  Background and historical antecedents

(iv)    Distinction - Distinction means differentiating between symptoms, etiology and expression of various mental disorders in other words setting up inclusion and exclusion criteria of mental disorders:

Ø  For exact and pinpoint diagnosis

Ø  For placing in subtypes or subcategories

Ø  Planning an appropriate intervention

Ø  Administration of intervention

Ø  Devising effective strategies to prevent occurrence of Mental disorders

(v)     Prognosis/Prediction - It means an opinion or suggestion by the expert based on the previous experiences detailing likelihood of development of a mental disorder:

Ø  Devising treatments and accuracy of diagnosis

Ø  Prevention of prevalence through preventive care

Ø  Taking corrective measures in advance

Ø  For development of proactive action plan

Ø  Identification of potential risk factors

Ø  Development of a bench mark for assessment

 

References:

1.       Verma, L. P. (1965). Psychiatry in ayurveda. Indian J Psychiatry.           1965;7:292.

2.       पांडेय, जगदानंद. (1956). असामान्य मनोविज्ञान. पटना: ग्रंथमाला प्रकाशन           कार्यालय।

3.       http://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/21119/1/Unit-2.pdf.

4.       https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en.

 

*******