Extending a new paradigm for the empirical classification of mental illness

Current systems for classifying mental disorders have significant limitations that undermine our ability to identify causal mechanisms underlying mental illness, and develop effective treatments. Empirically valid classification is fundamental to both of these goals. The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) represents a promising empirically derived alternative to the traditional consensus-based classification systems. However, HiTOP currently lacks the detailed symptom-level information necessary for translational research and clinical practice. The aim of this project is to delineate the symptom-level structure of psychopathology, which will extend the ground-breaking HiTOP framework into a comprehensive and detailed empirical classification system to guide research and practice.