Validity and utility of Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): III. Emotional dysfunction superspectrum. Issue 1 (11th January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Watson, David; Levin‐Aspenson, Holly F.; Waszczuk, Monika A.; Conway, Christopher C.; Dalgleish, Tim; Dretsch, Michael N.; Eaton, Nicholas R.; Forbes, Miriam K.; Forbush, Kelsie T.; Hobbs, Kelsey A.; Michelini, Giorgia; Nelson, Brady D.; Sellbom, Martin; Slade, Tim; South, Susan C.; Sunderland, Matthew; Waldman, Irwin; Witthöft, Michael; Wright, Aidan G.C.; Kotov, Roman; Krueger, Robert F.
• Other Names: Afzali Kamran investigator.; Bornovalova Marina A. investigator.; Carpenter William T. investigator.; Carragher Natacha investigator.; Cicero David C. investigator.; Dick Danielle M. investigator.; Docherty Anna R. investigator.; First Michael B. investigator.; Fried Eiko I. investigator.; Hallquist Michael N. investigator.; Jonas Katherine investigator.; Keyes Katherine M. investigator.; Latzman Robert D. investigator.; Markon Kristian E. investigator.; Morey Les C. investigator.; Mullins‐Sweatt Stephanie N. investigator.; Naragon‐Gainey Kristin investigator.; Olino Thomas M. investigator.; Patalay Praveetha investigator.; Patrick Christopher J. investigator.; Pincus Aaron L. investigator.; Reininghaus Ulrich investigator.; Rodriguez‐Seijas Craig investigator.; Rutter Lauren A. investigator.; Salum Giovanni A. investigator.; Shackman Alexander J. investigator.; Skodol Andrew E. investigator.; Slade Tim investigator.; Tabb Kathryn investigator.; Tackett Jennifer L. investigator.; Watts Ashley L. investigator.; Uliaszek Amanda A. investigator.; Widiger Thomas A. investigator.; Zald David H. investigator.; Zimmermann Johannes investigator.; Zinbarg Richard E. investigator.;
• Is Part Of: World psychiatry. Volume 21:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 26
• Page End: 54
• Publication Date: 2022-01-11
• Subjects: HiTOP -- emotional dysfunction -- internalizing -- somatoform -- depression -- anxiety disorders -- eating disorders -- sexual dysfunction -- negative affect -- neuroticism -- clinical utility; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Mental illness -- Periodicals; 616.89005
• DOI: 10.1002/wps.20943
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1723-8617

Abstract

Abstract : The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) is a quantitative nosological system that addresses shortcomings of traditional mental disorder diagnoses, including arbitrary boundaries between psychopathology and normality, frequent disorder co‐occurrence, substantial heterogeneity within disorders, and diagnostic unreliability over time and across clinicians. This paper reviews evidence on the validity and utility of the internalizing and somatoform spectra of HiTOP, which together provide support for an emotional dysfunction superspectrum. These spectra are composed of homogeneous symptom and maladaptive trait dimensions currently subsumed within multiple diagnostic classes, including depressive, anxiety, trauma‐related, eating, bipolar, and somatic symptom disorders, as well as sexual dysfunction and aspects of personality disorders. Dimensions falling within the emotional dysfunction superspectrum are broadly linked to individual differences in negative affect/neuroticism. Extensive evidence establishes that dimensions falling within the superspectrum share genetic diatheses, environmental risk factors, cognitive and affective difficulties, neural substrates and biomarkers, childhood temperamental antecedents, and treatment response. The structure of these validators mirrors the quantitative structure of the superspectrum, with some correlates more specific to internalizing or somatoform conditions, and others common to both, thereby underlining the hierarchical structure of the domain. Compared to traditional diagnoses, the internalizing and somatoform spectra demonstrated substantially improved utility: greater reliability, larger explanatory and predictive power, and greater clinical applicability. Validated measures are currently available to implement the HiTOP system in practice, which can make diagnostic classification more useful, both in research and in the clinic.