Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T19:47:38.022Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Hierarchical arrangement of psychiatric symptoms in the context of schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

N.V. Angelopoulos  and
M. Economou
N.V. Angelopoulos*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Thessalia Medical School, 22 Papakyriazi St., Larisa, 412 22, Greece
M. Economou
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
*
*Correspondence and reprints. E-mail address:nikifang@med.uth.gr (N.V. Angelopoulos).
Get access

Summary

Foulds’ model proposing a four-class hierarchical structure of mental illness represents an interesting dimension of psychiatric research and discussion and probably has a significant potential on diagnosis, taxonomy, therapeutics and theory. Psychiatric symptoms were investigated in a group of 244 schizophrenic patients with the purpose of analyzing Foulds and Bedford’s notion that psychiatric symptoms are arranged hierarchically. To achieve this the R (recent) version of the Delusions, Symptoms, States, Inventory (DSSI) was administered in the form of a constructed interview to these patients. The hierarchical arrangement of psychiatric symptoms was verified since a great majority of the cases (80.8%) produced symptom patterns conforming to the hierarchy model. However, patients with duration of illness longer than 10 years reported conforming patterns in a lower percentage (77%), whereas 84.6% of those with a duration of illness less than 2 years reported conforming patterns. The non-conforming patterns were those in which integrated delusions were absent in the presence of delusions of disintegration, neurotic symptoms were absent in the presence of integrated delusions, and dysthymic states were absent in the presence of neurotic symptoms.

Keywords

hierarchiespsychopathologytaxonomy
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 16 , Issue 5 , August 2001 , pp. 267 - 273
Copyright
Copyright © Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Angelopoulos, NV.Psychiatric symptoms and changes in hostility structure [thesis]. London: University of London; 1982.Google Scholar
Bagshaw, VE.A replication study of Foulds' and Bedford's hierarchical model of depression. Br J Psychiatry 1977; 131: 53–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bagshaw, VEMcPherson, FM.The applicability of the Foulds and Bedford hierarchy model to mania and hypomania. Br J Psychiatry 1978; 132: 293–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bedford, AFoulds, GA.Validation of the Delusions-Symptoms-States Inventory. Br J Med Psychol 1977; 50: 163–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bedford, APresly, AS.Symptoms patterns among chronic schizophrenic inpatients. Br J Psychiatry 1978;133: 178–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Jong, AGiel, ELindeboom, EGSlooff, CJWiersma, D.Foulds' hierarchical model of psychiatric illness in a Dutch cohort: a re-evaluation. Psychol M 1984; 14: 647–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feuchtersleben Ernst Von. The principles of medical psychology, being the outlines of a course of lectures by Baron Ernst Von Feuchtersleben. London : Sydenham Society: Badington BG, Ed.,: 1847.Google Scholar
Foulds, GA.The hierarchical nature of personal illness. London: Academic Press; 1976.Google Scholar
Foulds, GABedford, A.Hierarchy of classes of personal illness. Psychol M 1975; 5: 181–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Foulds, GABedford, ACsapo, KG.Class change in the personal illness hierarchy. Br J Psychiatry 1977; 127: 316–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilleard, E.A cross-cultural investigation of Foulds' hierarchy model of psychiatric illness. Br J Psychiatry 1983; 143: 518–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McPherson, FMAntram, MCBagshaw, VECarmichael, SK.A test of the hierarchical model of personal illness. Br J Psychiatry 1977; 131: 56–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morey, LC.A comparative validation of the Foulds and Bedford hierarchy of psychiatric symptomatology. Br J Psychiatry 1985; 146: 56–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morey, LC.The Foulds hierarchy of personal illness: a review of recent research Compr Psychiatry 1987; 28: 159–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Palmer, RLEkisa, EGWinbow, AJ.Patterns of self-reported symptoms in chronic psychiatric patients. Br J Psychiatry 1981; 139: 209–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rubino, APezzarosa, BZanna, VCiani, N.Foulds' hierarchy: validation of predictions in psychiatric and dermatological patients. Br J Med Psychol 1997; 70: 395–402.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sturt, E.Hierarchical patterns in the distribution of psychiatric symptoms. Psychol M 1981; 11: 783–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Surtees, PGKendell, RE.The hierarchy model of psychiatric symptomatology: an investigation based on present state examination ratings. Br J Psychiatry 1979; 135: 438–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wing, JKCooper, JESartorious, N.Distribution and classification of psychiatric symptoms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1974.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.