¿Qué es la CIE y por qué es importante en la psicología?

Abstract

The World Health Organization's International Classification for Diseases (ICD) is very little known in the field of psychology in Spain, and there is a false perception that it is not of major importance in mental health. The purpose of this article is to familiarize psychologists and other mental health professionals with the ICD classification system, a discussion that is especially relevant now because the ICD is currently under revision. WHO is making a great effort to create a global, multicultural and multidisciplinary classification system, focusing on improving its clinical utility. Moreover, WHO has adopted Spanish as the second working language in the current ICD revision process. This provides an opportunity for mental health professionals from Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries to be actively involved in the development of the next version of the ICD. It is important for Spanish-speaking psychologists to know about ICD, and to understand how they may be served by greater awareness and use of the ICD as a vehicle for full integration as an official health profession. Use of the ICD will also help psychologists in Spain and in Spanish-speaking countries to achieve greater consistency with the practice of psychology in the rest of Europe and throughout the world in terms of the diagnosis and classification of mental and behavioural disorders. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]