Revisiting Psychiatric Comorbidity: Concepts and Challenges

Abstract

Psychiatric comorbidity is a reality that cannot be ignored. The concept of comorbidity was transposed from medicine to psychiatry in the 1980s. Since then, psychiatry has witnessed a tremendous growth in the research on comorbidity. However, comorbidity has proved to be a double-edged sword. Psychiatric comorbidity has important diagnostic and treatment implications. It is a guiding principle for organising psychiatric classifications. On the other hand, despite the large amount of research, the nosological and diagnostic aspects of psychiatric comorbidity remain unresolved. Both underestimation and overestimation of comorbidity have led to problems that have challenged the very basis of psychiatric classifications and diagnostic practices. Future research focusing on identifying patterns of comorbidity and adopting more nuanced diagnostic approaches in clinical settings could be helpful.