The revision of the Latin American Guide for Psychiatric Diagnosis (GLADP) and an initial survey on its utility and prospects

Abstract

The Latin American Guide for Psychiatric Diagnosis (GLADP)integrates the use of operational diagnostic criteria and a multiaxial system. It also includes the cultural and personalized elements of each patient. The forthcoming revisions of the ICD-11 and DSM-V and the opportunity to promote the incorporation of person-centered approaches prompted the revision of the GLADP as a Priority Program of the Latin American Psychiatric Association. Fifteen out of 20 national psychiatric societies are collaborating in the current revision, which has the primary aim of updating the Latin American annotations of psychiatric diagnosis and of integrating the person-centered diagnostic model. The utility and relevance of GLADP was examined through a survey among workgroups’ members on the original GLADP and suggestions for the Revised GLADP. Forty two out of 158 psychiatrists responded to the survey: 81% were familiar with GLADP, 78% considered it easy to use, 90% felt it was adequate as a Latin American adaptation  of the ICD-10, 71% considered it useful for clinical work, 59%, 81% and 62% considered it adequate for commnunity care, teaching and research, respectively, 81% considered it to be accurate, reflecting the patient’s clinical condition. Qualitative analyses favored GLADP to the ICD-10 and DSM-IV, because of its being integrative and personalized and given its ability to consider cultural issues. Efforts to integrate personalized comprehensive diagnostic formulations in clinical practice are considered crucial for adequate clinical care.