The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is published by the American Psychiatric Association and is an approach to diagnosing in five dimensions of assessment.
The DSM recognizes that there are many factors in life which affect mental health. One of the purposes of the DSM-IV is to help researchers and clinicians in using a common language to diagnose, classify and to collect statistical data on mental disorders. Much of mental health science and theory is dependent upon collection and analysis of vital information, hence the attention that is paid to statistics.
The DSM is organized on an axis system, with some “leftovers” that are not covered, such as a true “family” system of therapy and of covering illnesses or certain cultural influences that are dealt with in separate appendices.
The drawbacks to the DSM-IV lie in the insurance industry and their requirement for certain Axis I diagnoses before they will honor a patients claim. There may be an issue with clinicians and researchers aiding insurance industry policy rather than looking at other issues to the patients benefit.
The DSM-V is expected to make great improvements, with an expected publishing date of May, 2013.
The DSM-IV-TR is currently in use as a text revision since 2000. The DSM IV is organized along an Axis principle, where Axis I involves Clinical Syndromes. Axis I is the actual diagnosis that we are familiar with, such as schizophrenia or mood disorder of depression. The index of psychiatric disorders is extensive. The other axes approach the related and subsequent matters that involve the disorder.
The main Axis I disorder groups are as follows: Anxiety, adjustment, eating, personality, sleeping, mood, somatoform, psychotic, dissociative, sexual, and impulse control.
Axis II involves the developmental and personality disorders. Examples of the developmental disorders are those that show in childhood, such as autism and mental retardation. Personality disorders are the clinical syndromes that have more long lasting symptoms and greatly impact the way of life. Examples are Antisocial and Borderline Personality Disorders.
Axis III involves brain injury or other physical conditions that can cause symptoms of mental illness.
Axis IV involves severity of Psychosocial Stressors, or things that happen in life that can affect Axis I and Axis II disorders.Examples are death, job change, or major life changes.
Axis V is highest level of functioning. The present time and the previous year are examined and rated to determine how the other four axes affect the individual and to determine types of expected changes.
References:
DSM IV Introduction
Understanding the DSM IV Classification System
Mental Disorders and Classification
Index of Psychiatric Disorders
