An integration of the DSM‐III and ICD‐8 by global severity assessments for measuring multidimensional outcomes in general hospital psychiatry

A multiaxial classification system has been developed in which three ICD-8 derived axes of psychiatric syndromes, personality disorders and somatic syndromes, and two DSM-III axes of psychosocial stressors and social functioning have been included. Global assessment scales were annexed the three ICD-8 axes. This DSM-III/ICD-8 system was used for registration of 880 consequetively admitted psychiatric patients in a general hospital setting. The results showed that six psychiatric syndromes (substance use disorders, schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis, reactive psychosis, neurosis, and adjustment reactions) were responsible for 80% of the diagnostic variance. Of these syndromes, manic-depressive psychosis had the highest improvement rate both concerning symptoms and social functioning. Manic-depressive psychosis had also the lowest coefficient of variation in the stay in hospital indicating a high degree of homogeneity in accordance to the diagnose-related group system. However, patients within the categories of reactive psychosis and neurosis who received antidepressants also had a low coefficient of variation, although the neurotics were significantly more depressed than the manic-depressives at discharge from hospital.