PATTERNS OF DISORDER IN FIRST ADMISSION PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS

Abstract

An investigation of clinical and demographic characteristics in a representative sample of 1st admissions for functional psychiatric disorder was described. Analyzing the patterns of these characteristics showed that social class had a particularly key role relating to a larger number of characteristics than did symptom and functioning measures. Symptoms when analyzed together revealed replicated factors not corresponding to diagnostic types. The implications of these and other findings for considering a broad perspective in conceptualizing, studying and treating psychiatric disorder are discussed.