The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) provides a shared framework for describing and classifying mental disorders. This lesson introduces the manual, its users, and the role it plays in assessment, research, and health-care systems.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, commonly called the DSM, is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). The latest edition in the source material, DSM-5-TR, was published in March 2022. It classifies mental disorders using a common language and standard criteria.
All flashcards
Reliability in diagnosis
The extent to which different clinicians agree on a diagnosis.
DSM-I
The 1952 edition adapted Medical 203 and listed 106 disorders.
Clinical-significance criterion
A requirement that symptoms cause significant distress or impairment in important functioning.
DSM-5-TR
The March 2022 text revision that updated criteria and codes and added some diagnoses.
Cultural critique of diagnosis
Concern that diagnostic standards may reflect assumptions that do not fit all cultures.
Quiz questions
Which statement best describes the ICD compared with the DSM?Answer: The WHO produces the ICD, which classifies health conditions broadly, including mental disorders.
What was a major aim of DSM-III, published in 1980?Answer: To make diagnoses more uniform through explicit, operationalized criteria.
How did DSM-IV-TR differ from DSM-IV?Answer: It updated descriptive text and some codes while leaving categories and nearly all criteria unchanged.
Which system change occurred with DSM-5?Answer: It discontinued the former multiaxial system.
What happened to homosexuality in DSM-II in 1974?Answer: It was removed as a disorder category and replaced by “sexual orientation disturbance.”