A Consumer Perspective on Personality Diagnostic Systems: One Size Does Not Fit All

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Diagnostic Systems Research

Background:

• Clinical utility of diagnostic models is crucial for effective assessment and diagnosis.
• Patient and consumer perspectives offer unique insights into the usefulness of diagnostic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical utility of three diagnostic models (categorical, hybrid, and ICD-11 dimensional) from a user perspective.
• To compare user preferences for different diagnostic approaches in mental health.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 703 undergraduate students and 154 individuals with borderline personality disorder or their family members.
• Participants rated mock diagnostic reports generated by categorical, hybrid, and ICD-11 dimensional models on six clinical utility indices.

Main Results:

• Undergraduates favored categorical reports over the original ICD-11 dimensional model but found categorical and hybrid models equivalent.
• The patient/family sample preferred both hybrid and categorical models over the dimensional model across all indices.
• A clear diagnostic label appears to be highly valued by users.

Conclusions:

• Diagnostic models that incorporate a clear label, such as categorical or hybrid approaches, are perceived as more clinically useful by users.
• Future diagnostic systems (e.g., DSM) should prioritize simplicity and clarity in communication, potentially through hybrid or dimensional models.