|
|
DSM IV or DSM 4 |
||
|
|
DSM IV or DSM4 - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersThe Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- Fourth Edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) is the current reference used by mental health professionals and physicians to diagnose mental disorders. This publication is often referred to as the DSM or DSM4 or DSM iv, and we use such abbreviations here for convenience. The American Psychiatric Association began publishing the DSM in 1952, and it has since gone through several revisions before the most recent version, the fourth edition, was published in 1994. The current DSM iv lists over 200 mental health conditions and the criteria required for each one in making an appropriate diagnosis. Drafts of DSM IV were circulated for discussion and comments before publication of the final manual in 1994 (American Psychiatric Association 1994a). The review material has been published in a series of DSM iv source books. A new version incorporating minor revisions of the explainatory text - DSM iv text revision (DSM - IV - TR) - was published in 2000. This aimed to update the classification as an educational tool. The changes are mainly small rewordings of the text and there is no alteration to the classifications itself or to the criteria (American Psychiatric Association 2000). DSM iv for various disorder like major depression:Diagnostic criteria for mental disorders are essentially descriptions of symptoms that fall into one of four categories.
The clinical usefulness of the DSM 4 is much more than a tool for making diagnoses of depression like major diosrder. It is used by mental health professionals and physicians as a guide for communicating about mental health conditions. When two clinicians discuss a diagnosis such as "major depressive disorder, single episode, severe with psychotic features," they both have the same conceptualization of various aspects of the illness. Without the DSM-IV, the two clinicians might have very different perceptions of the condition. The DSM 4 also allows mental health professionals to reach consensus on which symptoms or groups of symptoms should define which disorders. Such decisions are based on empirical evidence (research results), usually by a multidisciplinary staff of professionals. Further, the DSM 4 is used as an educational tool and a reference for conducting all types of research (e.g., clinical trials, prevalence studies, outcome research). The DSM IV is not used to categorize people , but to categorize conditions or disorders that people have. This may be a subtle distinction, but it is a very important one. We do not say that a person is cancer, or is heart disease, or is an illness. A person has an illness. Likewise, we should not say that a person is a depressive, but that a person has clinical depression. Along the same lines, the value of diagnostic labels is often debated among mental health professionals and the general public. On the negative side, some people believe that making a diagnosis is simply the act of labeling a person. Once a person is labeled he or she may have difficulty overcoming the label, may lose hope of recovery, or may come to believe that he or she is the label. On the positive side, some people are relieved when they finally learn that the symptoms they are experiencing have a name. This often offers a sense of hope and personal control over the illness as more can be learned about its treatment, causes, and outcome. The doctor will compare your symptoms to the diagnostic criteria in the DSM iv to determine if you do have depression, and if so, which form. A good mental health professional will not rely solely on the DSM iv, however. If a patient is displaying four instead of five of the criteria, that does not mean that he or she does not need treatment. Depressive disorders occur along a continuum from mild to severe, and it's possible to fall somewhere between them. If you think you have depression, or know someone who does, it is important that you know as much as possible about the different kinds of depression to determine whether the doctor is diagnosing it properly. Depression Diagnosis criteria and tool other than dsm4 The diagnosis of depression begins with a physical exam by a doctor. There are several factors at work here. DSM iv and ICD-10 - The two classifications are complementary rather than competing. DSM has been designed for use in a single country - it is a national classification - whereas ICD has been designed for use in all countries with their varied cultures and needs and was subjected to international field trials. Looking for a therapist - making the most of your appointment
Please support this site by sharing this page with others:
I think that dsm 4 is the best book of analisis of upheavals mentale written until fecha (2006), its revision, this of but. - ps.haroldperez Is PAS (parential alienation syndrome) a valid diagnosis recongnized by the Canadian Medical & Psychiatric Association? Is it lited in the DSM 4? --Susan Roy Just serfed in. Great site, guys!c - Nicole |
Depression tip:
|
||||||
MOST POPULAR SECTION: |
||
© 2005, www.depression-guide.com. All rights reserved. Site last updated: March 4, 2008 |
||
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - DSM4 - major depression dsm4 disorder: dsm4 is a very useful tool for diagnosis disorders. |
