THE DIAGNOSTIC STABILITY OF ICD-10 PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES IN CLINICAL-PRACTICE

This study examines the stability of ICD-10 diagnoses of patients admi tted to Al Ain (United Arab Emirates) inpatients psychiatric unit duri ng the period from November 1993 to August 1995. Diagnostic stability is a measure of the degree to which diagnoses remained unchanged at a later hospital admission. One hundred and seven patients were admitted more than once during this period, accounting for 168 readmissions. H igh levels of diagnostic stability were found for ICD-10 F1-psychiatri c disorders (100%), F2-schizophrenia (87%), F3-bipolar disorders (87%) and F3-depressive disorders (73%). A poor level of stability was foun d for patients with neurotic, stress related and adjustment disorders (F4), ranging from zero for somatoform disorders to 50% for generalize d anxiety and panic disorders. Poor levels of stability were also foun d for other psychoses (excluding schizophrenia and affective psychoses ) and personality disorders. We conclude that the introduction of ICD- 10 as a formal diagnostic system has greatly improved the temporal sta bility of the most commonly encountered psychiatric disorders (ICD-10 F1 to F3 disorders), confirming the construct validity of those psychi atric disorders. Further investigations are required to evaluate the d iagnostic stability of neurotic and other psychotic disorders.