Prof. Dr Beate Muschalla, Prof. Dr Michael Linden, Dr Stefanie Baron
The impact of a disease depends not only on the type and severity of the symptoms, but also on the resulting capacity impairments and the consequences for lifestyle. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) describes this holistic view using the terms function/symptom on the one hand and activity/capacity/participation on the other. This distinction between symptoms and capacities is important for therapy management and socio-medical issues, e.g. work ability decisions.
The distinction between illness and its consequences is a particular challenge in the case of mental disorders. An internationally established instrument that is used at this interface is the Mini-ICF-APP Social Functioning Scale (Mini-ICF-APP, Linden, Baron & Muschalla 2009). The Mini-ICF-APP specifies capacity dimensions that may be impaired in persons with mental disorders.
It also provides guidance on how to assess the degree of impairment in relation to the environmental demands, e.g. work demands. It thus provides important information for therapeutic approaches at the level of capacities (e.g. training of interactional skills, flexibility, proactivity, or adaptability) and context (e.g. services for participation in working life, vocational reintegration). The Mini-ICF-APP can be used in therapy planning, for work demands description, and socio-medical assessments, or independent living.
We regularly offer training workshops with the Mini-ICF-APP in cooperation with IVB Berlin https://www.ivb-berlin.de/cms/index.php/fort-und-weiterbildung/mini-icf. In-house trainings are also available.
Project management: Prof Dr Beate Muschalla
Cooperation partner: Prof. Dr Michael Linden, Charité Berlin
Selected literature:
Linden, M., Baron, S., Muschalla, B., & Ostholt-Corsten, M. (2015). Fähigkeitsbeeinträchtigungen bei psychischen Erkrankungen. Diagnostik, Therapie und sozialmedizinische Beurteilung in Anlehnung an das Mini-ICF-APP [Impairment of abilities in the case of mental illness. Diagnostics, therapy and socio-medical assessment based on the Mini-ICF-APP.]. Hogrefe. https://www.hogrefe.de/shop/faehigkeitsbeeintraechtigungen-bei-psychischen-erkrankungen-71713.html
Linden, M., Muschalla, B., Baron, S., & Ostholt-Corsten, M. (2018). Exploration mittels Mini-ICF-APP. Arbeits- und Leistungsfähigkeitsbeeinträchtigungen bei psychischen Erkrankungen. Ein Fallbeispiel [Exploration using MINI-ICF-APP. Impairment of work and performance in case of mental illness. A case study]. Berlin: Deutsche Rentenversicherung.
https://www.deutsche-rentenversicherung.de/Allgemein/de/Inhalt/3_Infos_fuer_Experten/01_
sozialmedizin_forschung/downloads/sozmed/klassifikationen/miniICF.html
Muschalla, B. (2014). Fähigkeitsorientierte Verhaltenstherapie bei psychischen Erkrankungen [Skill-oriented behavioural therapy for mental illness]. Verhaltenstherapie, 24, 48-55.
Muschalla, B. (2018). Assessing psychological work demands with an ICF-oriented concept of psychological capacities. Gruppe Interaktion Organisation, 49, 81-92.
Muschalla, B., Rau, H., Küster, A., Willmund, G. D., & Knaevelsrud, C. (2017). Work-related capacity disorders in self- and observer-rating in military personnel with mental disorders. Wehrmedizinische Monatsschrift, 61, 260-268. http://military-medicine.com/article/3111-work-related-capacity-impairments-in-self-observerrating-in-military-personnel-with-mental-disorders.html