In early March, the DSM-5 was revised to include new conditions, clarifications and updated wording.
Clinical psychologistNoel Hunter, PsyD, who specializes in trauma and grief, strongly disagrees with the addition.
It is abysmal and reprehensible to attempt to justify pathologizing someone for their process of grief.
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It is a clear attempt to provide medical justification for prescribing more antidepressants and further numb our society."
Licensed clinical social workerGayle Weill, LCSW, has mixed feelings on the subject.
On the one hand, the diagnosis allows individuals to receive treatment that’s covered by their insurance.
Without the diagnosis, affected individuals may not have been able to access therapy sessions or clinical treatment.
“On the other hand, everyone reacts to loss differently,” Weill says.
The New Experience of Grief
The timing of this addition is also important to consider.
“They were unable to be with their loved ones and unable to say goodbye to them in person…
The fact that none of this was possible directly impacts how their grief was experienced.”
Understanding the impact of these constraints will take time.
Caitlin Weese, LMSW, finds some of the updates refreshing.
2012;9(3):e1001190.
doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001190
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders, Text Revision: DSM-5-TR.5th ed.
