It contains descriptions, symptoms, and other criteria for diagnosing mental health disorders.
Mental health professionals use the DSM-5 to classify patients for billing purposes.
This article discusses the history of the DSM-5 and how the most recent edition compares to past editions.
Verywell / Laura Porter
A major issue with the DSM has beenvalidity.
Recap
The DSM has gone through many changes since it was first published in the early 1950s.
The Multiaxial System
The DSM-III introduced a multiaxial or multidimensional approach for diagnosing mental disorders.
Axis I Clinical Syndromes
Axis Iconsisted of mental health and substance use disorders that cause significant impairment.
Disorders were grouped into different categories such asmood disorders,anxiety disorders, andeating disorders.
Some examples include HIV/AIDS and brain injuries.
These include such things asunemployment, relocation,divorce, or thedeath of a loved one.
Perhaps most notably, the DSM-5 eliminated the multiaxial system.
Instead, the DSM-5 lists categories of disorders along with related disorders.
The DSM-5 eliminated the multiaxial system.
Some disorders were eliminated or changed, while several new conditions were added.
Changes in the DSM-5-TR
DSM-5-TRcontains revised criteria for more than 70 disorders, includingprolonged grief disorder.
The DSM-5-TR uses more specific language to avoid reader confusion.
The DSM-5-TR revised criteria for 70 disorders as well as added a new diagnosis, prolonged grief disorder.
This new edition of the DSM also revised language surrounding gender dysphoria and race.
They will then use this information to make a diagnosis based on DSM criteria.
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed.
Washington, DC; 2013.
New York State Psychiatric Institute.DSM-5 and RDoC: Shared interests.
National Institute of Mental Health.About RDoC.
American Psychiatric Association.Highlights of changes from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5.
American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
5th ed, text revision.
Washington, D.C.; 2022.
Insel T.Post by Former NIMH Director Thomas Insel: Transforming Diagnosis.
National Institute of Mental Health.
April 29, 2013.
