Dimensions of psychopathology in the medically ill - A latent trait analysis

The authors examined the latent structure of psychiatric symptoms occurring in patients with medical illness. Symptom data were collected from 312 hos pitalized medically ill patients using the Monash Interview for Liaison Psy chiatry and subjected to latent trait analysis. A model with 5 dimensions p rovided an acceptable fit to the data. Dimensions were characterized as dem oralization, anhedonia, autonomic anxiety, somatic symptoms, and grief. The demoralization dimension was similar to the concept of demoralization desc ribed by Frank and to the "giving up-given up complex" described by Engel. The concepts of demoralization, grief, and anhedonia may be useful in incre asing understanding of the minor depressions in people with medical illness and in increasing the specificity of psychological and pharmacological tre atments for these disorders.