Abstract
This paper provides an overview of empirically based assessment and taxonomy, as illustrated by cross-cultural research on psychopathology. The empirically based approach uses standardized assessment procedures to score behavioral and emotional problems from which syndromes are derived by multivariate analyses. Items and syndromes are scored quantitatively to reflect the degree to which individuals manifest them, as reported by particular informants. Although the approach to assessing problems and to constructing taxonomic groupings differs from the ICD/DSM approach, there are no inherent contradictions between either their models for disorders nor the criterial features used to define disorders. Cross-cultural comparisons have yielded relatively small differences in problem rates and syndrome structure, plus considerable similarity in associations of problems with sex and SES, as well as similar correlations between reports by different types of informants. Research on variations in problems in relation to culture, sex, age, SES, and type of informant can contribute to improving both the ICD/DSM and empirically based approaches and to a more effective synthesis between them.
Résumé
Cet article rapporte une vue d'ensemble d'une évaluation fondée empiriquement avec taxonomie illustré par une recherche transculturelle en psychopathologie. L'approche empiriquement fondée utilise des procédures d'évaluation standardisées pour coter les problèmes comportementaux et affectifs dont dérivent les syndromes par analyse multi-variée. Les items et les syndromes sont cotés quantitativement pour refléter leur degré d'expression chez les individus, tels qu'ils sont rapportés par des informateurs spécifiques. Quoique l'approche pour évaluer les problèmes et construire des groupes taxonomiques differe de cel de ICD/DSM, il n'y a pas de contradictions inhérentes entre leur modèle de troubles ni les traits des critères utilisés pour définir ces troubles. Des comparaisons transculturelles ont montré des différences relativement faibles dans les pourcentages de problèmes et la structure des syndromes, de plus une similarité considérable dans les associations des problèmes avec le sex et statut socio-économique, ainsi que des corrélations semblables entre les rapports par les différents types d'informateurs. La recherche sur les variations dans les problèmes en relation à la culture, le sexe, l'âge, le statut socio-économique et le type d'informateur peut contribuer à améliorer à la fois l'ICD/DSM et les approches empiriquement fondées et permettre une synthèse plus efficace entre eux.
Zusammenfassung
Diese Arbeit bietet eine Übersicht zur empirisch fundierten Erfassung und Taxonomie, dargestellt an der transkulturellen Psychopathologieforschung. Die empirisch fundierte Vorgehensweise beinhaltet die Verwendung von standardisierten Erhebungsverfahren zur Wertung von Verhaltensund emotionalen Auffälligkeiten, aus denen Syndrome durch multivariate Analysen abgeleitet werden. Die Items und Syndrome werden quantitativ gewertet, um bei Einzelpersonen das Ausmaß der manifestierten Auffälligkeiten angeben zu können, die wiederum von bestimmten Informanten berichtet werden. Obwohl die Vorgehensweise zur Erfassung von Problemen und zur Bildung von taxonomischen Gruppen sich von dem ICD/DSM-Ansatz unterscheidet, gibt es keine inhärenten Widersprüche zwischen ihren Modellen für Störungen noch in kritischen Merkmalen, die zur Definition von Störungen verwandt werden. Transkulturelle Vergleiche haben relativ kleine Unterschiede in Problemraten und Syndromstruktur ergeben. Außerdem findet sich eine beträchtliche Ähnlichkeit im Hinblick auf die Assoziationen von Problemen mit Geschlecht und sozioökonomischem Status, aber auch ähnliche Korrelationen zwischen Berichten von unterschiedlichen Informanten. Forschung zur Variation von Problemen im Hinblick auf Kultur, Geschlecht, Alter, sozioökonomischen Status und Typus des Informanten können dazu beitragen, sowohl das ICD/DSM-Modell als auch andere empirisch fundierte Vorgehensweisen zu verbessern und eine effektivere Synthese zwischen diesen Vorgehensweisen zu erreichen.
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Verhulst, F.C., Achenbach, T.M. Empirically based assessment and taxonomy of psychopathology: Cross-cultural applications. A review. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 4, 61–76 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01977734
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01977734