Maximizing the applied value of structural models of psychopathology: Introduction to a special issue of Personality and Mental Health

Structural models of mental illness delineate the major phenotypic dimensions of psychopathology. These evidence-based models, such as the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology, are poised to supplement—and even supplant—categorical diagnostic systems in research, assessment and treatment arenas. This special issue of Personality and Mental Health explores a new wave of research into structural models' utility for theory testing and clinical practice. Can structural approaches advance etiological research by clarifying connections between psychopathology and social, cultural, psychological and biological vulnerability processes? Can dimensional models of mental illness assimilate consensus models of temperament and personality? Can this paradigm identify optimal treatment targets and guide treatment design and selection? The studies compiled here all look beyond nosology to understand how structural models are changing research and clinical landscapes in mental health disciplines. We envision this set of articles as a blueprint for further investigation into the configuration, research utility and clinical application of structural approaches to diagnostic classification.