Personal factors classification revisited: A proposal in the light of the biopsychosocial model of the World Health Organization (WHO)

In 2010, we proposed a personal factor classification which was published in this journal. Since then, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the biopsychosocial model were increasingly incorporated into the German Social Law Code for participation and rehabilitation, implying that personal factors are indispensable for individual assessments. For the present study, we aimed to come up with an updated version of the personal factors classification based on current research. To achieve this goal, we employed a qualitative approach to re-examine the basic structure, consistency, and selection of categories in the classification from our 2010 study, to amend and supplement the categories to reflect best practice personal factor classifications. Our findings indicate that the basic structure remained largely unchanged, with relatively minor changes, including the deletion of 5 categories from our 2010 classification, 10 categories revised in format or content, and 13 new categories. We believe our revised classification to be useful for supporting users in systematically, comprehensively, and transparently reporting influences on specific aspects of individuals’ life and living background on their functioning and participation, thus facilitating an equitable allocation of disability benefits.