Keywords
psychological disorders
latente variables
process-based therapy
How to Cite
Abstract
A network approach has been offering an alternative to the conception of psychological disorders as underlying disease. The network assumption views psychological disorders as networks of symptoms of causal interaction. Network analysis offers a unique view of an individual’s system, obtained from data rather than categorization. It allows moving toward specific interventions for specific symptom relationships rather than a protocol approach. In order to provide a current overview of the network approach studies and to present the possible implications for clinical practice, a narrative review of the literature was conducted using the Scopus and PubMed databases. Studies sought to build symptom networks through cross-sectional and time-series data collection methods, allowing analysis of the symptom’s centrality in the inter/intra-individual network, enabling a specific intervention for each patient. Research suggests that changing the connectivity of symptoms and delaying the re-stabilization of an individual's network after a disturbance leads to changing from a healthy to a pathological-stable-state. Monitoring the network dynamics could predict relapse, permitting early intervention in the central symptoms. In conclusion, networks can provide information about the specific psychological mechanisms underlying the development of psychological disorders. However, research is in its infancy, and a consensus on the analysis model is necessary. It is also necessary to consider what types of variables should be included in psychopathological networks.
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