The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled a groundbreaking diagnostic manual for mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders: "Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Requirements for Mental, Behavioral, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CDDR) of ICD-11."
Overview
The Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Requirements for Mental, Behavioral, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CDDR) of ICD-11 is a comprehensive diagnostic manual designed to support accurate and reliable identification and diagnosis of these disorders in clinical settings worldwide. Based on reviews of the latest available scientific evidence and best clinical practices, the CDDR was developed and tested through a rigorous, multidisciplinary, and participatory approach involving hundreds of experts and thousands of physicians worldwide.
Accurate diagnosis is often the first step towards appropriate care and treatment. By supporting precise and timely diagnosis of mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders, the CDDR will ultimately ensure that more individuals can access services tailored to their needs.
The ICD-11 CDDR targets:
- Mental health professionals and non-specialist healthcare providers, such as primary care physicians, responsible for assigning these diagnoses in clinical settings.
- Other healthcare professionals in both clinical and non-clinical roles, such as nurses, occupational therapists, and social workers, who need to understand the nature and symptoms of mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders, even if they do not personally assign diagnoses.
- Students and trainees in mental health and other healthcare fields who need to understand the nature and symptoms of mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders as part of their education and training.
The Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) by the WHO is the global standard for recording and reporting health-related diseases and conditions. It provides standardized nomenclature and common healthcare language for WHO member states, healthcare systems, and healthcare professionals worldwide. The ICD-11 was adopted by the 72nd World Health Assembly in May 2019 and came into effect as the basis for health reporting in January 2022. The CDDR serves as a clinical version of the ICD-11 and is thus complementary to the health information statistical reporting system, known as Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (MMS) linearization.
It also incorporates a lifespan approach to mental, behavioral, and neurological disorders, including addressing how disorders manifest in childhood, adolescence, and older adults.
Furthermore, it provides guidance related to cultural considerations for each disorder, including how disorder presentations may systematically differ based on cultural background. The incorporation of dimensional approaches, for instance in personality disorders, acknowledges that many symptoms and disorders exist on a continuum with typical functioning.
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