Advancing the understanding of the structure of psychopathology with nontraditional quantitative app

Abstract

Latent variable modeling is the traditional and predominant approach to derive the structure of psychopathology based on the patterns of covariation among symptoms and syndromes. However, that approach leaves important questions unanswered. This symposium, consisting of four talks, addresses several of these questions using novel quantitative approaches: 1) Can we use the heterogeneity of diagnostic constructs as a criterion to help us adjudicate among competing frameworks of psychopathology, 2) How does the generalizability of the structure of psychopathology change across hierarchical levels, 3) Does the HiTOP structure vary as a function of severity, suggesting that there is not a single structure of psychopathology between people, and 4) What is the role of sociocultural context within the structure of psychopathology. Collectively, this symposium aims to advance our understanding of the structure of psychopathology by going beyond the traditional latent variable modeling approach, which will inform more reliable, valid and generalizable assessment of psychopathology.

Chair

Quanfa He | University of Wisconsin-Madison

Discussant

Lee Anna Clark | University of Iowa