The DOI matches its Crossref record; 95 of the 95 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Can network analysis transform psychopathology?
Abstract
Experimental psychopathology has been the primary path to gaining causal knowledge about variables maintaining mental disorders. Yet a radically different approach to conceptualizing psychopathology promises to advance our understanding, thereby complementing traditional laboratory experiments. In contrast to viewing symptoms as reflective of underlying, latent categories or dimensions, network analysis conceptualizes symptoms as constitutive of mental disorders, not reflective of them. Disorders emerge from the causal interactions among symptoms themselves, and intervening on central symptoms in disorder networks promises to foster rapid recovery. One purpose of this article is to contrast network analysis with traditional approaches, and consider its strengths and limitations. A second purpose is to review novel computational methods that may enable researchers to discern the causal structure of disorders (e.g., Bayesian networks). I close by sketching exciting new developments in methods that have direct implications for treatment.
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In the citing paper
“Thus, it allows to examine complex relations among multiple variables, simultaneously.”
From Psychometric properties of the engaged living scale (ELS) Spanish version in a large sample of Spanish pilgrims (2023) · cites this paper as McNally, 2016
In the citing paper
“Network analysis is a set of integrated statistical techniques that can simultaneously analyze many variables and investigate their role as outcome and mediator at the same time (McNally, 2016).”
From Psychometric properties of the engaged living scale (ELS) Spanish version in a large sample of Spanish pilgrims (2023) · cites this paper as McNally, 2016
In the citing paper
“Moreover, it is possible to study a network structure at various time points and determine the changes following an intervention when using longitudinal data (Epskamp et al., 2018; McNally, 2016).”
From Psychometric properties of the engaged living scale (ELS) Spanish version in a large sample of Spanish pilgrims (2023) · cites this paper as McNally, 2016
Citations
Cites
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
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Qgraph: Network visualizations of relationships in psychometric data
Epskamp, S., Cramer, A., Waldorp, L., Schmittmann, V., & Borsboom, D. (2012) · Journal of Statistical Software · doi:10.18637/jss.v048.i04 · Cited by 4,844
Network analysis: An integrative approach to the structure of psychopathology
Borsboom, D., & Cramer, A. O. J. (2013) · Annual Review of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185608 · Cited by 4,359
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- McNally, R.J. (2015, November). A network approach to PTSD symptoms in adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. In: C. A. Levinson, J. Langer (Co-chairs), Network analysis: A symptom perspective of psychopathology. Symposium conducted at the meeting of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Chicago, IL
- McNally, R. J., Mair, P., Mugno, B. L., Riemann, B. C. (2016, May). Comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression: a network analytic perspective. In: C. D. van Borkulo, A.O. Cramer (Co-Chairs), Mental disorders:What are they and how do they behave from a network perspective? Symposium conducted at the meeting of the Association of Psychological Science, Chicago, IL
Cited by
Sorted by citations
A tutorial on regularized partial correlation networks
Epskamp, S., & Fried, E. I. (2018) · Psychological Methods · doi:10.1037/met0000167 · Cited by 2,918
Bridge Centrality: A Network Approach to Understanding Comorbidity
Jones, P. J., Ma, R., & McNally, R. J. (2019) · Multivariate Behavioral Research · doi:10.1080/00273171.2019.1614898 · Cited by 1,895
Moving Forward: Challenges and Directions for Psychopathological Network Theory and Methodology
Fried, E. I., & Cramer, A. O. J. (2017) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691617705892 · Cited by 1,015
All for One and One for All: Mental Disorders in One Dimension
Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T. E. (2018) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17121383 · Cited by 918
Transdiagnostic approaches to mental health problems: Current status and future directions.
Dalgleish, T., Black, M., Johnston, D., & Bevan, A. (2020) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/ccp0000482 · Cited by 883
Metadata
- Authors
- McNally, R. J.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- McNally, Richard J.
- ORCID
- McNally, Richard J.
- Venue
- Behaviour Research and Therapy
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-11
- Volume
- 86
- Pages
- 95-104
- ISSN
- 0005-7967 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2469324137
- Cited by
- 1,072
- References
- 95
- Citations by year
- 2026: 140 · 2025: 181 · 2024: 147 · 2023: 139 · 2022: 129 · 2021: 95 · 2020: 87 · 2019: 73 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 5
- FWCI
- 6.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behaviour Research and Therapy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Keywords
- network analysis, psychopathology, symptom networks, Bayesian networks, computational psychiatry, symptomatic treatment, experimental psychopathology
- MeSH terms
- Bayes Theorem, Humans, Psychopathology, Models, Statistical, Behavioral Research
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