Lecture about DSM-5

Today, I attended an academic meeting organized by one of my colleagues. There I performed a lecture about DSM-5.

DSM-5, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders 5th edition, is a textbook to describe the criteria of mental disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). This manual is established as a global standard of psychiatric diagnosis, compared with ICD-10 (International Criteria of Disease, 10th edition) by the World Health Organization (WHO).

My past entry: DSM-5: New mental disorders are approaching

The DSM is revised in 2013 but it has not translated into Japanese yet. So, we decided to learn about it in this meeting. Fortunately, the meeting resulted in a great success. I am thankful to the participants.

I read several articles regarding DSM-5 in advance, to know there are lots of controversy, from how to define each mental disorder to what is a mental disorder. DSM-5 seems to have not fully accepted to psychiatrist even in the US. Some famous researchers such as Allen Frances, past chairman of DSM-IV, are opposite to using DSM-5. I guess the members of the task force of DSM-5 made great efforts.

Indeed, I think DSM-5 is well-made criteria without some exception. It is impossible to create a perfect criteria. Based on the point of view, APA has declared considering to revise it soon to DSM-5.1. I wonder when will the next revision be completed. If too sooner, clinicians must be confused. If too late, clinicians will not able to accept the new one.

This kind of Version-up method is similar to computer software. Microsoft Windows was updated to version 8.1 a few months ago. However, the feedback of clinical experience to the organization of changing criteria requires much time. It is a decisive difference from software. Can DSM update itself through gathering data in the near future?