What do clinicians treat: Diagnoses or symptoms? The incremental validity of a symptom-based, dimensional characterization of emotional disorders in predicting medication prescription patterns

Psychiatric medication was prescribed in line with symptoms rather than DSM diagnoses. A quantitative approach to nosology may better reflect treatment planning and be a more effective guide to pharmacotherapy than traditional diagnoses. This adds to a diverse body of evidence about superiority of the quantitative system in practical applications and highlights its potential to improve psychiatric care.