Targeting 3 Tiers of Psychiatric Problems in Patient-focused Psychiatric Practice: Diagnostic Signs, Symptoms, and Impairments; Specific Complex Subjective Complaints; and Contributing Meta-problems.

Abstract

While contemporary psychiatric assessments ordinarily focus on signs, symptoms, and impairments comprising formal diagnoses, these assessments sometimes minimize or ignore specific complaints and other contributing problems that are the sources of patients' and families' greatest distress. Neglect of these problems may decrease patient satisfaction and reduce the quality of care. The author reviewed limitations of previous problem-oriented efforts in psychiatry and limitations of diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This review provided the basis for reconceptualizing how problems might be identified and framed in clinical assessments. A clinically practical 3-tier framework for psychiatric problems is suggested. The first tier encompasses diagnostic contents, including subjective symptoms, observable signs, and impairments. The second tier consists of additional specific complex subjective complaints in the patient's and family's own words, comprised of highly individualized distressing intrapsychic, interpersonal, and environmental situations and conflicts. The third tier consists of contributing meta-problems, comprised of significant additional patient-related or systems-related difficulties noted by clinicians that contribute substantially to complicated clinical problem sets. Diagnostic or not, specific problems expressed by patients and families and contributing meta-problems should be integrated into initial formulations and tracked during treatment. Whereas only some of these problems may fall within a clinician's scope of responsibilities, all should fall within the scope of concern, some to be referred to others, and some exceeding caregivers' capacities. Periodic review of problem lists for patients' and families' most distressing concerns can contribute to the therapeutic alliance, increase patient satisfaction, and perhaps improve outcomes.