ICD-11 Mental, Behavioural, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

What are the primary Neurodevelopmental Disorders classified in ICD-11?

Neurodevelopmental disorders are conditions that manifest early in development, often before the child enters school, and produce impairments in personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning. These disorders involve difficulties in the acquisition and execution of specific intellectual, motor, or language functions, reflecting deviations from typical developmental trajectories, requiring early intervention.

• Intellectual disability
• Autism spectrum disorder
• ADHD

How does ICD-11 define Schizophrenia and other primary psychotic disorders?

This category encompasses disorders characterized by significant disturbances in perception, thought, emotion, and behavior, often involving psychosis. Schizophrenia is the most prominent example, defined by persistent symptoms that reflect a fundamental breakdown in the connection between thought, emotion, and behavior, severely impacting daily life and requiring comprehensive care.

Which conditions are grouped under Mood (affective) disorders in ICD-11?

Mood disorders are characterized by a disturbance in the person's emotional state, involving either abnormally low mood (depression) or abnormally elevated mood (mania or hypomania), or a combination of both. These conditions significantly impair functioning and often require structured therapeutic intervention to manage the cyclical nature of the symptoms and restore stability.

• Depression
• Bipolar disorder

What types of Anxiety and fear-related disorders are recognized by ICD-11?

Anxiety and fear-related disorders involve excessive fear, anxiety, and related behavioral disturbances that are persistent and out of proportion to the actual threat posed. These disorders cause significant distress or impairment in functioning, often leading to avoidance behaviors that restrict daily activities and social engagement, necessitating coping strategies.

• Phobias
• Panic disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder

What defines Obsessive-compulsive or related disorders in the ICD-11 framework?

This category includes conditions characterized by obsessions (recurrent, persistent thoughts, images, or urges that are intrusive and unwanted) and/or compulsions (repetitive behaviors or mental acts that the individual feels driven to perform). These symptoms are time-consuming and cause clinically significant distress or impairment, often requiring specialized cognitive behavioral therapy.

How does ICD-11 classify Disorders specifically associated with stress?

These disorders arise as a direct consequence of exposure to a stressful event or series of events, such as trauma or significant life change. The classification focuses on the reaction to the stressor, which may involve intrusive memories, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, or heightened arousal, severely affecting adaptation and recovery.

• PTSD
• Adjustment disorders

What are the characteristics of Dissociative disorders according to ICD-11?

Dissociative disorders involve a disruption of the normal integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor control, and behavior. These disruptions can be sudden or gradual, transient or chronic, and are often linked to overwhelming stress or trauma experienced in the past, leading to fragmentation of self-experience.

What conditions fall under Feeding and eating disorders in ICD-11?

This group includes disorders characterized by persistent disturbance of eating or eating-related behavior that results in altered consumption or absorption of food and significantly impairs physical health or psychosocial functioning. These conditions require immediate medical and psychological intervention due to the severe risks associated with malnutrition or overeating behaviors.

What are Elimination disorders and their common examples?

Elimination disorders involve the inappropriate elimination of urine or feces, typically occurring in childhood or adolescence. Diagnosis requires that the behavior is not due to a general medical condition or the direct effects of a substance, and that it causes significant distress or impairment in social functioning, often requiring behavioral training.

• Enuresis
• Encopresis

What defines Disorders of bodily distress or bodily experience?

This category includes conditions where the primary focus is on distressing somatic symptoms or preoccupations with one's body, often without a clear medical explanation. The distress is genuine and leads to excessive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to the symptoms, causing significant impairment in daily life and requiring psychological support.

• Somatoform disorders

What are the key examples of Impulse control disorders?

Impulse control disorders are characterized by the failure to resist an impulse, drive, or temptation to perform an act that is harmful to the person or to others. The individual typically experiences increasing tension before committing the act and pleasure, gratification, or relief during or immediately after, leading to repetitive harmful actions.

• Kleptomania
• Pyromania

How does ICD-11 categorize Substance use or addictive behaviours?

This category covers disorders resulting from the use of psychoactive substances (like alcohol or opioids) or engaging in addictive behaviors (like gambling). The core feature is a pattern of repeated use or engagement despite harmful consequences, leading to significant impairment or distress, and often involving dependence and withdrawal symptoms.

• Alcohol use disorder
• Gambling disorder

What characterizes Personality disorders and related traits?

Personality disorders involve enduring patterns of inner experience and behavior that deviate markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture, are pervasive and inflexible, have an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, and are stable over time. ICD-11 emphasizes severity and trait domains rather than specific types, focusing on functional impairment.

What are Paraphilic disorders in the context of ICD-11?

Paraphilic disorders involve recurrent, intense sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors that involve non-consenting individuals, suffering or humiliation of oneself or one's partner, or non-human objects. The diagnosis is applied only when these urges cause significant distress or impairment, or involve personal harm or risk to others, requiring clinical intervention.

Which conditions are included in the Neurocognitive disorders category?

Neurocognitive disorders are characterized by a decline in cognitive function acquired later in life, such as memory, attention, or executive function, that represents a significant change from a previous level of functioning. These disorders are often progressive and result from underlying brain pathology, impacting independence and daily activities significantly.

• Delirium
• Dementia

When are Mental and behavioural disorders associated with pregnancy classified?

This category includes mental health conditions that arise specifically during pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period (puerperium). These disorders are often influenced by hormonal changes, psychological stress, and social factors unique to this life stage, requiring specialized care and support for the mother and child to ensure well-being.