Modern approaches to comorbidity in psychiatry

Shmakova O.P.; Golovina A.G.

doi:https://doi.org/10.17116/jnevro20261260517

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Abstract:

An analysis of publications from 2016 to 2026 in PubMed, eLibrary, and TRUE databases highlights the complexity of comorbidity and inconsistencies in the literature. The unjustified broad application of the comorbidity concept in the diagnostic assessment of mental disorders may contribute to patient stigmatization. It is recommended that practitioners prioritize hierarchically structured diagnoses. When true comorbidity is identified, it should be documented to facilitate the personalization of mental health care. Innovative taxonomies such as RDoC, HiTOP, and the network model currently serve primarily as supplementary sources of descriptive data, help reduce misdiagnosis of multiple distinct mental disorders in a single patient, and provide improved psychometric assessment tools.

Keywords:

psychopathology

comorbidity

multimorbidity

systematics

personalization of psychiatric care

stigma

Authors:

Shmakova O.P.

Institute of Child Psychiatry, Mental Health Research Center, Moscow, Russia

ORCID: 0000-0001-9290-0871

Golovina A.G.

Institute of Child Psychiatry, Mental Health Research Center, Moscow, Russia

ORCID: 0000-0002-3170-3388

Received:

09.03.2026

Accepted:

09.03.2026

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References:

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