Mental disorders have long been considered to be the hardest to define and, consequently, difficult to cure health issues. Although few admit to having mental health issues, millions of people worldwide suffer from various symptoms of mental disorders. Therefore, it is crucial to encourage the perception of mental disorders as ordinary health problems that anyone can develop throughout their lifespan. The introduction of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has proven to be a substantial enhancement of this sphere of healthcare. Therefore, it is essential to constantly examine and analyze the efficiency of this crucial tool, as even minor imbalances and deficiencies in the way it describes disorders may lead to severe consequences.
Abnormal behavior patterns are believed to be a crucial indicator of a developing mental disorder. Abnormal psychology seeks to describe, systematize, and analyze symptoms in order to attribute them to a mental disorder. Thus, it seeks to find a structured approach to categorize all the mental health issues. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was introduced in 1952 and has been altered multiple times since then due to the growing amount of data on various mental disorders.
The DSM is the most commonly used classification system in North America today. Its major advantages are standardization and efficient structure. The system provides an unprecedentedly detailed description of each mental health disorder, which allows healthcare workers to distinguish between them clearly. The DSM diagnostic criteria can serve as a map for research, as its structure and diagnostic checklists are extremely useful tools. According to Momen et al. (2020), the presence of a mental disorder is associated with an increased risk of subsequent medical conditions. Moreover, in the 21st century, the vast majority of people do not have enough money or time to go to the hospital frequently. Therefore, a uniform structured system is precisely what healthcare workers need to enhance the entire treatment process.
The DSM continues to evolve rapidly as the perceptions of certain mental disorders still change. Moreover, new strategies are being proposed to encourage a holistic approach to mental disorders. For instance, the dimensional approach that is widely used in the updated DSM-5 views behavior on a continuum. The DSM also distinguishes itself by analyzing and describing mental disorders, not people suffering from them. All the above mentioned helps create a different perception of mental health issues and ways to treat them.
Despite offering numerous benefits for every health care worker involved in mental health treatment, the DSM, has a few limitations that should be considered when utilizing it. The possible weaknesses include oversimplification, misdiagnosis or overdiagnosis, and labelling. Using a list of symptoms to get an immediate answer may be helpful in many cases, as it helps therapists accelerate the entire process. Nevertheless, sometimes this oversimplification can lead to serious issues concerning treatment. The common use of labels and numbers should not undermine the importance of each person’s unique factors that may influence the development of a disorder.
The sets of criteria proposed by the DSM continue to be the most popular tool used to diagnose mental disorders. Nevertheless, a patient’s personality and emotional condition can seriously alter the desired treatment methods. Moreover, oversimplification can lead not only to misdiagnoses but also to overdiagnoses. Furthermore, it is crucial to realize that sometimes the depiction of normal behavior is significantly narrowed down, which leads to unnecessary treatment of people whose behavior does not entirely comply with the current ideal and even stigmatization.
There are various tools that can be successfully applied when diagnosing and treating mental disorders. Nevertheless, despite all the limitations and even drawbacks, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders continues to be the most viable option for therapists nationwide. Therefore, it is crucial to constantly update the already existing framework with sophisticated data and new approaches. Moreover, it is of major importance for every therapist to keep in mind that the DSM cannot always provide an accurate answer.
Reference
Momen, N.C., Plana-Ripoll, O., Agerbo, E., Benros, M.E., Børglum, A.D., Christensen, M.K., Dalsgaard, S., Degenhardt, L., de Jonge, P., Debost, J.-C.P.G., Fenger-Grøn, M., Gunn, J.M., Iburg, K.M., Kessing, L.V., Kessler, R.C., Laursen, T.M., Lim, C.C.W., Mors, O., Mortensen, P.B., … McGrath, J.J. (2020). Association between mental disorders and subsequent medical conditions. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(18), 1721–1731. Web.