[Diagnosis and classification in the tension field between description and interpretation].

Basic terms of medical and psychiatric classification are outlined in the introduction. This is followed by an historical sketch of German publications of early classification systems of child and adolescent psychiatry as found in the work of Tramer, Stutte, and Lutz. The main section deals with current classification systems. Deficits of the ICD-9 and recent improvements in the DSM-III-R and the ICD-10 are discussed. The paper concludes with considerations regarding the empirical foundation of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders and with criticism of psychiatric classification in general.