The classification of anxiety and hysterical states. Part I. Historical review and empirical delineation

The history of the classification of anxiety, hysterical, and hypochondriacal disorders is reviewed. Problems in the ability of current classification schemes to predict, control, and describe the relationship between the symptoms and other phenomena are outlined. Existing classification schemes fai...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of clinical psychopharmacology Vol. 2; no. 4; p. 235
Main Authors Sheehan, D V, Sheehan, K H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.08.1982
Subjects
Agoraphobia - psychology
Anxiety - classification
Anxiety - history
Anxiety Disorders - psychology
History, 16th Century
History, 17th Century
History, 18th Century
History, 19th Century
History, 20th Century
History, Ancient
Humans
Hypochondriasis - psychology
Hysteria - classification
Hysteria - history
Panic
Terminology as Topic
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Summary:The history of the classification of anxiety, hysterical, and hypochondriacal disorders is reviewed. Problems in the ability of current classification schemes to predict, control, and describe the relationship between the symptoms and other phenomena are outlined. Existing classification schemes failed the first test of a good classification model--that of providing categories that are mutually exclusive. The independence of these diagnostic categories from each other does not appear to hold up on empirical testing. In the absence of inherently mutually exclusive categories, further empirical investigation of these classes is obstructed since statistically valid analysis of the nominal data and any useful multivariate analysis would be difficult if not impossible. It is concluded that the existing classifications are unsatisfactory and require some fundamental reconceptualization.
ISSN:0271-0749
DOI:10.1097/00004714-198208000-00002