Evaluating the General Psychopathological Factor (p-Factor) using the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure in the General Population

The general psychopathological factor, referred to as the p-factor, is gaining increasing attention because it contributes to the elucidation of pathophysiology and development of treatments. However, indicators for eciently measuring the p-factor in a brief and simple manner are lacking. This study examined the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure (DSM-XC) as a potential tool for assessing the p-factor. The DSM-XC is a brief and comprehensive screening tool for a broad spectrum of mental disorders; yet its utility and psychometric properties for measuring the p-factor have not been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the reliability and validity of the DSM-XC as a scale for measuring the p-factor. A total of 985 participants from clinical and non-clinical populations responded to the DSM-XC and questionnaires related to various mental disorders. The results indicated that the total DSM-XC score had sucient test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and convergent validity. Factor analysis revealed that the DSM-XC can account for several specific factors, including internalizing symptoms and thought disorders, in addition to the general factor of psychopathology. These findings suggest that the DSM-XC is a valuable tool for measuring the p-factor in a short time. This convenient tool is expected to contribute to the development of alternative diagnostic systems for mental disorders, thus enhancing our understanding of psychopathology.