Clinical implications of a general psychopathology factor: A cognitive-behavioral transdiagnostic group treatment for community mental health

Research on the underlying structure of psychopathology has found that a single general psychopathology factor may underlie all mental disorders. This finding is consistent with decades of research showing that the same risk factors are associated with many different disorders. We review these findings and discuss a primary implication: That clinicians could potentially use the same treatment for individuals with different and comorbid mental disorders. Such a transdiagnostic approach is not a new concept, but these treatments are receiving renewed interest. Recently developed transdiagnostic treatments have been shown to be effective in research settings, but these treatments do not meet several community mental health needs. Consequently, we provide an evidence-based rationale for a continuous-enrollment, fully transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral group treatment that is informed by research on the structure of psychopathology. We conclude with suggestions for future research that integrate basic science research, treatment research, and clinical practice.