What is the DSM and what is it used for?
DSM stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and is published by the American Psychiatric Association, the professional membership organization representing United States psychiatrists. It is utilized by mental health professionals from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds for a wide range of purposes, including clinical, research, administrative, and educational. The DSM is a manual that contains a listing of psychiatric disorders and their corresponding diassgnostic codes. Each disorder included in the manual is accompanied by a set of diagnostic criteria and text containing information about the disorder, such as associated features, prevalence, familial patterns, age-, culture- and gender-specific features, and differential diagnosis. No information about treatment or presumed etiology is included. Diagnostic criteria have been included in the DSM because their provision has been shown to increase diagnostic agwreement.
