The DSM-5 classification is written and used in order to help psychiatric professionals within the industry more universally understand, diagnose and describe mental disorders. The classification contains many common and rare conditions, each of which are properly separated into types and categories. The book is extremely useful to any practicing healthcare professional. There are three major sections in the book that will be discussed in this work – the introduction, the diagnostic criteria and assessment measures. Each of them serves to properly support a healthcare professional in understanding mental illness. Section 1 welcomes new readers in explaining the general purpose of the work, its connection with mental health assessment and the revisions that were made over the years. Furthermore, it also describes the procedures that go into changing the DSM-5 classification, and how they are capable of making the material more compatible with the current needs of the field. As the final part of the first section, the manual warns medical professionals to carefully consider the impact of social factors, race, gender and other personal considerations when applying diagnostic criteria to actual patients. One of the most important parts of this section is its discussion of the manual’s use. It allows professionals to develop a “fully informed treatment plan for each individual” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). As stated by the authors, the book should be used as a supplemental material in the process of care delivery, in order to enhance recognition of mental illness.
The second section of the work details a well-organized and thought-out classification of different mental health issues. All of the criteria presented in this section is approved for medical use, and can be widely seen applied by practicing mental health professionals. Criteria for diagnosis, supplemental descriptive text, and discussions of various conditions present great clinical significance to the reader. All of these materials should be read and understood in combination with each other in order to give the mental health professional a most comprehensive view of a condition. The last section of the work is used to support the previous one, allowing the reader to more comfortably apply the classification into their mental health assessment procedures. The third part gives psychologists the necessary measures to work with patients presenting peculiar conditions, such as severe schizophrenia, and also enable them to better understand their day-to-day activities.
One of the disorders identified in the work is Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. A number of criteria for its assessment are listed, including inattention, which is identified by the presence of specific symptoms over a period of over 6 months. Impulsivity or hyperactivity are considered another diagnostic criteria, understood as a tendency to fidget, move around, or behaviors that take place without proper consideration for consequences (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). A combination of these symptoms must be persistent, and often interfere with a person’s daily functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). An interesting part of the 3rd section is one discussion cultural formulation. The effect of the larger society, culture, and their issues on the individual can often be overlooked, and a forward-looking framework that emphasizes this fact is especially useful (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This section conceptualizes ideas of stress or mental health factors that can be connected with an individual’s cultural background, and encourages practitioners to consider social factors in their assessment or treatments.
As a whole, the DSM-5 is a necessary tool of medical assessment that helps professional make well-researched practices a standard across the industry and streamline the diagnostic process. However, it is necessary to be mindful of the potential ethical and professional implications of their use. In particular, some forms of mental illness, or their presentation, can be atypical to the manual, making it easy for professionals to dismiss the concerns of patients. In addition, the understanding of the manual can change with translation, making it difficult to apply properly (Wu et al., 2021). Therefore, it is important to be in an active conversation with the client as a mental health professional. Only by listening, learning the evidence and using compassion is it possible to help others.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders.
Wu, L. Z., Asan, A. E., Halberstadt, A. L., & Pincus, A. L. (2021). Comparing English-language and Chinese-language assessment of dsm-5 personality disorders and interpersonal problems in Chinese bilingual speakers. Journal of Personality Assessment, 104(4), 509-521.