The New DSM-5: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?

REFERENCE books; AMERICAN Psychiatric Association; CONCEPTS; ENDOWMENT of research; MEDICAL needs assessment; CLASSIFICATION of mental disorders; NOSOLOGY; SOCIAL services; SOCIAL stigma; NATIONAL Institute of Mental Health (U.S.); PROFESSIONAL practice; MEDICAL coding; HISTORY

The authors reflect on the May 2013 publication of the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", which is also referred to as DSM-5. They suggest that the manual has gained wide acceptance since it was first published in the 1950s. They argue that social workers should study changes which have been proposed for the DSM-5 and provide input into the strengths and limitations of the changes.