Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27439471›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2016

Psychopathological Functioning Levels (PFLs) and their possible relevance in psychiatric treatments: a qualitative research project.

Andrea Ferrero, Barbara Simonelli, Simona Fassina, Elisabetta Cairo, Giovanni Abbate-Daga, Enrica Marzola, Secondo Fassino

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
8.5field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Andrea FerreroPsychotherapy Unit, Mental Health Department, Health District TO-4, Settimo Torinese, Turin, Italy.
Barbara SimonelliPsychotherapy Unit, Mental Health Department, Health District TO-4, Settimo Torinese, Turin, Italy.
Simona FassinaPsychotherapy Unit, Mental Health Department, Health District TO-4, Settimo Torinese, Turin, Italy.
Elisabetta CairoSAIGA Institute for Research, Turin, Italy.
Giovanni Abbate-DagaEating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy.
Enrica MarzolaEating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy.
Secondo FassinoEating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy. secondo.fassino@unito.it.
University of Turin · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSymptoms description is often not enough to provide clinicians with guidelines for treatments and patients' clinical history does not represent an exhaustive source of data. Psychopathological dysfunctions are known to relate to the core disturbances that underlie different forms of psychopathology so the identification of such dysfunctions could be helpful for treatments. Some tools are available although highly complex and lengthy. This study aimed to provide clinicians with an easy-to-administer instrument able to capture different levels of impairment in psychopathological functioning, namely the Psychopathological Functioning Levels - Rating Scale (PFL-RS).

methodsThe Psychopathological Functioning Level - Research and Training Committee (PFL-RTC) has been established in Turin since 2002 including psychiatrists and clinical psychologists with extensive clinical and research experience. Our research was grounded on the Qualitative Research Criteria (QRC) 1-7 and conducted with subsequent steps in order to identify those core psychopathological dysfunctions to be rated by this tool.

resultsFrom 2002 until 2014, 316 outpatients were administered the clinical interview on at least two different occasions. Diagnoses were mixed and included: Schizophrenic and Psychotic Disorders, Depressive Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder, Somatic Symptoms Disorders, Eating Disorders and Personality Disorders. Focus groups were conducted to identify those psychopathological dysfunctions which needed to be rated, according to two Phenomenological Selection Criteria (PhSC) and four Etiopathogenetic Selection Criteria (EtSC). As a result, five dysfunctional areas emerged: Identity (ID); Comprehension (CO); Negative Emotions (NE); Action-Regulation (AR); Social Skills (SS). After checking such dimensions for consistency with the existing instruments, 7 levels of severity were identified for each area. Finally, a provisional Italian schedule of Psychopathological Functioning Levels - Rating Scale (PFL-RS) was obtained and checked for semantic comprehension and then administered gathering preliminary data.

conclusionsPsychopathological dysfunctions underlying mental disorders have been recognized in the present study with the PFL-RS. This instrument seems promising to inform in a specific way treatments strategies and goals, specifically concerning psychotherapy. Notwithstanding, further research is needed in order to confirm validity, sensitivity and reliability of this instrument.

Indexed as

PsychopathologyAdultFemaleFocus GroupsHumansMaleMental DisordersPsychiatric Status Rating ScalesPsychiatryPsychotherapyQualitative ResearchReproducibility of ResultsYoung AdultPersonality organizationPsychopathological functioningPsychopathology

Identifiers

PMID27439471
PMCPMC4955138
OpenAlexW2485332158

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.