Relationship between ICD-10 psychosocial categories and psychiatric diagnosis in Israeli adolescents

Aim: The study examined the relationship between psychosocial categories obtained by WHO-developed semistructured interviews (ICD-10 Axis V) and clinical Axis I psychiatric diagnoses in psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents. Methods: The sample included 71 consecutive patients admitted to an adolescent unit and their mothers. Mothers completed a semi-structured interview derived from the criteria for each psychosocial category (Axis V), and the adolescents were diagnosed by experienced psychiatrists using the Schedule for Affective Disorders for School Age Children (K-SADS-P). Results: Anorexia nervosa and conduct disorder were associated with a psychosocial category of "abnormal qualities of upbringing," and conduct disorder and schizophrenia were associated with a psychosocial category of "events brought about by the child's own behavior." Conclusions: The systematic assessment of psychosocial categories add specific information to the validity of the Axis I diagnosis.