"The fifth and current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) lists nearly 300 distinct conditions that mental health care providers can diagnose and treat. But this dictionary of disorders has long been a lightning rod for criticismin particular, about the way it classifies mental illnesses, which experts have said is not scientifically valid. Today the DSM's publisher, the American Psychiatric Association (APA), announced plans to address these problems by changing how the book works."
"The committee has even suggested to change the DSM's name so that the S stands for scientific rather than statistical. But some experts don't think the changes will do much to improve the manual. I'm not sure [this new model for diagnosis] will have any strong utility at this point, says psychologist Ashley Watts. I'm worried that by trying to please everyone, we please no one."
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists nearly 300 distinct conditions used for diagnosis and treatment. Critics have long challenged the manual's classification methods and scientific validity. The American Psychiatric Association's Future DSM Strategic Committee proposes revising diagnostic guidance and increasing emphasis on objective biomarkers that may indicate mental illness. The committee suggested renaming the manual so the S stands for scientific rather than statistical. The overhaul appears in five papers in the American Journal of Psychiatry and combines APA optimism with skepticism from some psychologists about practical utility.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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