Cited by 409Mental Health Research TopicsPersonality Disorders and PsychopathologyAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Transdiagnostic psychiatry: a systematic review

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Fusar‐Poli, Paolo, Solmi, Marco, Brondino, Natascia, Davies, Cathy, Chae, Chungil, Politi, Pierluigi, Borgwardt, Stefan, Lawrie, Stephen M. +2 more·2019·World Psychiatry

Abstract

The usefulness of current psychiatric classification, which is based on ICD/DSM categorical diagnoses, remains questionable. A promising alternative has been put forward as the “transdiagnostic” approach. This is expected to cut across existing categorical diagnoses and go beyond them, to improve the way we classify and treat mental disorders. This systematic review explores whether self‐defining transdiagnostic research meets such high expectations. A multi‐step Web of Science literature search was performed according to an a priori protocol, to identify all studies that used the word “transdiagnostic” in their title, up to May 5, 2018. Empirical variables which indexed core characteristics were extracted, complemented by a bibliometric and conceptual analysis. A total of 111 studies were included. Most studies were investigating interventions, followed by cognition and psychological processes, and neuroscientific topics. Their samples ranged from 15 to 91,199 (median 148) participants, with a mean age from 10 to more than 60 (median 33) years. There were several methodological inconsistencies relating to the definition of the gold standard (DSM/ICD diagnoses), of the outcome measures and of the transdiagnostic approach. The quality of the studies was generally low and only a few findings were externally replicated. The majority of studies tested transdiagnostic features cutting across different diagnoses, and only a few tested new classification systems beyond the existing diagnoses. About one fifth of the studies were not transdiagnostic at all, because they investigated symptoms and not disorders, a single disorder, or because there was no diagnostic information. The bibliometric analysis revealed that transdiagnostic research largely restricted its focus to anxiety and depressive disorders. The conceptual analysis showed that transdiagnostic research is grounded more on rediscoveries than on true innovations, and that it is affected by some conceptual biases. To date, transdiagnostic approaches have not delivered a credible paradigm shift that can impact classification and clinical care. Practical “TRANSD”iagnostic recommendations are proposed here to guide future research in this field.

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  • The systematic review was performed following the PRISMA statement guidelines and the TRANSD recommendation to improve transdiagnostic research in psychiatry.

    “We performed a systematic review following the PRISMA statement guidelines (Page et al., 2021) and the TRANSD recommendation to improve transdiagnostic research in psychiatry (Fusar-Poli, 2019; Fusar-Poli, Solmi, et al., 2019).”

    From Predictive coding in neuropsychiatric disorders: a systematic transdiagnostic review. (2025) · cites this paper as Fusar-Poli, Solmi, et al., 2019

  • A systematic review and meta-analysis found a significant overlap in electrophysiological markers across ADHD, ASD, Tourette's syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    “Furthermore, a systematic review and meta-analysis of electrophysiological correlates of performance monitoring in four common childhood disorders - attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Tourette's syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder -found a significant overlap in electrophysiological markers across these disorders 13,14”

    From Candidate diagnostic biomarkers for neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents: a systematic review (2023) · cites this paper as [14]

    The review’s table of included studies lists transdiagnostic neuroscience work, including visual evoked potentials, but does not report the claimed finding. Searches for Tourette’s syndrome, performance monitoring, and electrophysiological overlap found no passage addressing a significant overlap across ADHD, ASD, Tourette’s syndrome, and OCD. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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  • There are frequently reporting inconsistencies (e.g., definition of the gold-standard DSM/ICD diagnoses, outcome measures, and type of transdiagnostic approach) and low quality of studies, with few findings externally replicated.

    “First, there are frequently reporting inconsistencies (e.g., definition of the gold-standard DSM/ICD diagnoses, outcome measures, and type of transdiagnostic approach) and low quality of studies, with few findings externally replicated 211”

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Research works printed but not linked: 22

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Authors
Fusar‐Poli, P., Solmi, M., Brondino, N., Davies, C., Chae, C., Politi, P., Borgwardt, S., Lawrie, S. M., Parnas, J., & McGuire, P.
Affiliations
  • King's College London (GB)
  • University of Padua (IT)
  • University of Pavia (IT)
  • Pennsylvania State University (US)
  • University of Basel (CH)
  • University of Edinburgh (GB)
  • University of Copenhagen (DK)
Venue
World Psychiatry
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2019-05-06
Volume
18
Issue
2
Pages
192-207
ISSN
  • 1723-8617 (ISSN-L)
  • 2051-5545
OpenAlex
W2944431228
Cited by
409
References
151
Citations by year
2026: 59 · 2025: 70 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 52 · 2022: 52 · 2021: 67 · 2020: 40 · 2019: 20 · 2017: 1
FWCI
6.68
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • World Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Padua Research Archive (University of Padova) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • King's College London
  • Medical Research Council (MC_PC_16048)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
transdiagnostic psychiatry, psychiatric classification, DSM, ICD, mental illness, transdiagnostic features, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, transdiagnostic treatment, research quality, research recommendations

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