The DSM-III classification of the functional psychoses and the Norwegian tradition

The relationship of the DSM-III categories to the national diagnostic usage of ICD is of importance for communication between psychiatrists. Here the theoretical relationship between the DSM-III categories and the Norwegian use of ICD-8 within the area of functional psychoses is discussed. An empirical investigation of these theoretical assumptions has been done on a hospital material diagnosed independently in the two classificatory systems. The empirical investigation gives support to the concordance of DSM-III schizophreniform, schizoaffective, and bipolar disorder and the Norwegian ICD-8 counterparts. The concordance is less for schizophrenic disorders and major depression. It is also found that the Norwegian diagnoses of reactive psychoses spread over many DSM-III diagnoses. In particular more of the reactive psychoses than predicted fall within the schizophrenic spectrum of DSM-III.