Some Current Research Issues in American Child Psychiatry

Classification and Categorization in Child Psychiatry*

“…The factors which could provide the structure for an ideal diagnostic scheme are undecided and are a function of the purposes for which the classification will be employed (Rutter, 1963). Two points must be made clear at the outset.…”

“…The principles of classification have been clearly outlined by Hempel (1961) and the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches were fully discussed by Jaspers (1962) in his classical text. The factors which could provide the structure for an ideal diagnostic scheme are undecided and are a function of the purposes for which the classification will be employed (Rutter, 1963). Two points must be made clear at the outset.…”