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Abstract
In recent years, the network approach to psychopathology has been advanced as an alternative
way of conceptualizing mental disorders. In this approach, mental disorders arise
from direct interactions between symptoms. Although the network approach has led to
many novel methodologies and substantive applications, it has not yet been fully articulated
as a scientific theory of mental disorders. The present paper aims to develop such
a theory, by postulating a limited set of theoretical principles regarding the structure
and dynamics of symptom networks. At the heart of the theory lies the notion that
symptoms of psychopathology are causally connected through myriads of biological,
psychological and societal mechanisms. If these causal relations are sufficiently
strong, symptoms can generate a level of feedback that renders them self-sustaining.
In this case, the network can get stuck in a disorder state. The network theory holds
that this is a general feature of mental disorders, which can therefore be understood
as alternative stable states of strongly connected symptom networks. This idea naturally
leads to a comprehensive model of psychopathology, encompassing a common explanatory
model for mental disorders, as well as novel definitions of associated concepts such
as mental health, resilience, vulnerability and liability. In addition, the network
theory has direct implications for how to understand diagnosis and treatment, and
suggests a clear agenda for future research in psychiatry and associated disciplines.