Validity and Heritability of the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) model is an empirically based dimensional alternative to current consensus based diagnostic classification systems. It was developed through the synthesis of decades of empirical studies, but its construct and structural validity have never been comprehensively evaluated within a single sample using a confirmatory modeling approach. We assessed 108 psychopathology phenotypes, incorporating 37 novel components, in 542 monozygotic and 155 dizygotic twin pairs with diverse mental health histories to validate the hierarchical dimensional structure of psychopathology and quantify its genetic and environmental influences. Analyses largely replicated the theorized dimensional structure at lower, but not upper, tiers of the model. Heritability was lower and more variable at lower (median h2 = 43.5) than upper (median h2 = 57.1) tiers. Our findings provide partial construct and structural validation for the HiTOP model while identifying novel psychopathological phenotypes and heritability estimates to guide future biological studies.
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7203622731