The multidimensionality of psychopathology in a community sample

Summary Our results show that there are several distinct types of mental problems, rather than one underlying dimension of mental illness. In the past, some researchers have advocated the use of rating scales that measure global constructs such aS “mental health” or “psychological distress.” Others have advocated the diagnosis of discrete psychiatric disorders such as “depression,” “schizophrenia,” or “anxiety disorder.” Our analysis provides support for a synthesis of the two approaches to measuring psychiatric disorders. Psychopathology is multidimensional, and it is therefore most useful to examine distinct types. The symptoms in each cluster can be summed in a scale that represents its content, so researchers can explicitly distinguish among physiological malaise, demoralization, mistrust, antisocial attitudes, alcoholism, and so on without having to diagnose respondents. The use of multiple scales can allow researchers to represent the true diversity of mental problems in the community.