The author discusses problems of the typological diagnostic system
currently used in psychiatry, which focuses primarily on symptoms in
classifying psychiatric disorders. He describes a comprehensive diagnostic
system that would involve routine evaluation of five patient
characteristics: symptoms, circumstances associated with symptoms, previous
duration and course of illness, quality of personal relationships, and
level of work function. He suggests that such a multivariable approach to
psychiatric diagnosis can provide valuable information about the patient to
clinicians, researchers, and other mental health workers.Abstract Teaser