Secondary Mental or Behavioural Syndromes: ICD-11 Guide

What this means

Mental or behavioural syndromes judged to be a direct pathophysiological consequence of a medical condition classified elsewhere. The medical relationship must be clinically established; temporal association alone is insufficient. A diagnosis is assigned only after a qualified assessment establishes the required pattern and considers exclusions, culture, development, physical health, medicines and substances.

Conditions and qualifiers in this family

• Secondary neurodevelopmental syndrome
• Secondary psychotic syndrome
• Secondary mood syndrome
• Secondary anxiety syndrome
• Secondary obsessive-compulsive syndrome
• Secondary dissociative syndrome
• Secondary impulse-control syndrome
• Secondary neurocognitive syndrome

This is a reader-friendly family map, not a substitute for the current WHO coding browser. “Other specified” and “unspecified” residual categories, course qualifiers and extension codes are not presented as self-assessment options.

What a professional assessment considers

What the classification can and cannot do

ICD-11 gives health systems a shared language for clinical communication, service planning and health statistics. It can help a professional organise a complex presentation and consider recognised boundaries between conditions. It does not explain the whole person, determine prognosis, select one treatment automatically or replace an individual formulation.

People may have features from more than one family, meet requirements for more than one disorder, or experience clinically important symptoms without meeting a disorder threshold. A responsible assessment records uncertainty and reviews the formulation when new evidence appears.

Support in a UK pathway

The appropriate route depends on age, severity, urgency, physical health, safeguarding and local commissioning. It may begin with a GP, NHS Talking Therapies or a specialist mental-health, neurodevelopmental, eating-disorder, substance-use, perinatal, neurology or memory service. Independent assessment should use appropriately qualified professionals, clear consent, transparent fees and a plan for communication with NHS care where necessary.

Related ICD-11 families

Official WHO sources

• WHO: ICD-11 Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Requirements
• WHO: ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics

Scope and urgent support

It is important to keep the boundary clear. iMetaWellness provides complementary wellbeing information and reflective support. We do not diagnose a mental disorder, select investigations, interpret results as a medical opinion, prescribe treatment or replace a GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, pharmacist or NHS service. A test becomes useful when a qualified professional has a clear question and knows what will happen after the result.

If someone may act on suicidal thoughts, cannot remain safe, has severe confusion, new psychosis, collapse, seizure, chest pain or another immediate danger, call 999 or attend A&E. For urgent concerns that are not immediately life-threatening, contact NHS 111, the person’s GP, mental-health team or local crisis service.