USE OF ICD-10 RESEARCH DIAGNOSTIC-CRITERIA TO CATEGORIZE PSYCHIATRIC AND BEHAVIORAL ABNORMALITIES AMONG PEOPLE WITH LEARNING-DISABILITIES -THE WEST MIDLANDS FIELD TRIAL

ICD-10 Diagnostic Criteria for Research (DCR) based on the Clinical De scriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines for Mental and Behavioural Disord ers were used to assign diagnoses to 38 people with mental retardation (MR) who had additional behavioural or psychiatric disorders. Problem s were encountered with criteria for schizophrenia and related disorde rs. Recommendations were made regarding some diagnostic criteria, the method of coding diagnoses, and the need for additional guidance when classifying disorders associated with MR. Multiaxial classification du ring the field trial allowed mental and physical health problems and t he severity of MR to be summarised in a standard format, assisting rec ord keeping and the communication of information. The DCR represent an advance on previous diagnostic systems, and with additional axes (now being developed for use with a MR fascicle) will be a useful research tool. Psychiatric diagnoses and classificatory systems still suffer f rom the lack of external validating criteria or specific treatment res ponses for many disorders within them, and this poses special problems when the person with the disorder has difficulties with communication .