Distinguishing between the validity and utility of psychiatric diagnoses.

@article{Kendell2003DistinguishingBT,
  title={Distinguishing between the validity and utility of psychiatric diagnoses.},
  author={Robert E. Kendell and Assen A. Jablensky},
  journal={The American journal of psychiatry},
  year={2003},
  volume={160 1},
  pages={
          4-12
        }
}
OBJECTIVE The meaning of the terms "validity" and "utility" as they apply to psychiatric diagnoses is examined. METHOD The authors discuss the concepts of validity, utility, and disease; review assumptions that have been made about mental disorders as disease entities; and examine the evidence that mental disorders are separated from one another and from normality by natural boundaries (zones of rarity). RESULTS Despite historical and recent assumptions to the contrary, there is little… 
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1,155 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
54
Background Citations
422
Methods Citations
44
Results Citations
15

1,155 Citations

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An analysis of the data from the Sesto Fiorentino study was performed to investigate the presence of common mood and anxiety symptoms across the most represented DSM IV diagnoses, and supported the hypothesis of a low specificity of these symptoms.
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