The network structure of self-reported psychopathological dimensions in common mental disorders (CMDs)

Background and objectives: Common mental disorders (CMDs) in mental health settings show high rates of comorbidities. While semi-structured interviews are the gold standard to establish a diagnosis, there are self-report instruments such as the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ) that aids clinicians in improving the diagnostic process in a time-efficient manner. Methods: Network analysis of the 13 domains of the PDSQ was applied to a sample of 374 firstcontact outpatients to identify domains of psychopathology acting as hubs and bridges of interconnections within the CMDs. Results: A global network densely connected with positive connections among PDSQ domains was found. The global network has four main clusters: depression-anxiety, somatoform, psychosis and substance-related domains. This network allowed for the identification of main 'nodes' acting as hubs favoring interconnections between dimensions and main 'bridges' easing the connections between clusters. Conclusion: The network structure of the PDSQ domains might provide a complementary explanation to the high rates of comorbidity among CMDs. Moreover, our results support the relevance of the self-administered PDSQ inventory to account for a deeper understanding of comorbidities among CMDs. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.