1. Classification of Psychiatric Disorders
Dr. Khalid Bazaid, MB BS, FRCPC
Assistant Professor & Consultant
Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
College of Medicine
King Saud University

2. Introduction:
Most of physical conditions are classified on the basis of etiology, e.g.: viral pneumonia. Or
On the basis of structural pathology, e.g.: Bronchopneumonia.
Based on symptoms, e.g. migraine.
Psychiatric disorders are diagnosed based mainly on symptoms.
Few are based on etiology e.g. Alzheimer’s disease.

3. Purposes of Classification:
To make generally acceptable diagnosis.
To facilitate communication between psychiatrists, other doctors and professionals.
To make generalizations in treatment response, course & prognosis of individual patients.
To make framework for research in psychiatry.

4. Types of Classification
Categorical Classification:
- Grouping disorders into separate entities according to symptom – pattern, course and outcome.
- It includes hierarchal categories.
e.g.: Organic mental disorders then functional psychotic disorders (e.g. Schizophrenia) then neurotic disorder (e.g. generalized anxiety disorder) then personality disorders.
- Also it includes in-built hierarchy of significance within the disorders themselves.
e.g.: Anxiety symptoms occur commonly with depressive disorder.

5. 2. Dimensional Classification:
- Diagnosing individual patients by giving scores on separate dimensions.
e.g. Psychoticism, neuroticism, introversion and extroversion

6. e.g. DSM, ICD 3. Multiaxial Approach:
Applied to schemes of classifications in which two or more separate sets of information are coded
e.g. DSM, ICD

7. ⇨ ICD10 DSM 4 CLASSIFICATION ……… ......... ……… Multiaxial Organic d.
Childhood
Childhood d.
cognitive d.
………
1-Psych. Dis.
2- M.R.
Personality d.
3- Physical illness
4- Stresses
5-Functioning level

8. Psychiatric Disorders
Organic
(Body)
Non-Organic
(Mind)
Acute
Delirum
Wernicke’s
Chronic
Dementia
Korsakoff
Others
Alcohol …
Head Injury
Etc….
Psychoses
Schizophrenia
Mood disorders
Etc….
Neuroses
Anxiety disorders
Adjustment dis.
Dysthymia
Dissociative dis.
Others
Personality dis.
Sleep disorder
Sex disorder
Etc…

9. Neurosis and Psychosis
- unsatisfactory term
- refers broadly to severe forms of mental disorders such as:
a. organic mental diseases
b. schizophrenia
c. affective disorders
Characteristics:
- greater severity
- lack of insight
- patient’s inability to distinguish between subjective experience and reality e.g. hallucinations, delusions.

10. Neurosis and Psychosis
unsatisfactory term.
Refers to mental disorders that are generally less severe than psychosis.
Characteristics:
- Symptoms are closer to normal experience e.g. anxiety.

11. Psychosis
Neurosis
Major mental illness Abnormal in quality e.g. hallucinates Affected Drugs & ECT
Minor mental illness
Abnormal in quantity
e.g. anxiety
Preserved
Psychological & drugs
Severity
Features
Insight
Treatment

12. NEGATIVE FEATURES Poverty of thoughts & speech. Self-neglect.
Lack of ambition interest & initiation.
Restricted affect.
Self-neglect.
Poor self care & hygiene

13. Features Suggesting of Organic Mental Illness:
Disturbed consciousness.
Disturbed cognitive functions:
a. Attention and concentration
b. Orientation: time, place & person
c. Memory : immediate, recent and remote
Presence of physical illness e.g. DM, HTN
Presence of neurological features e.g. dysarthria & ataxia.
Old age onset.