Understanding the DSM-IV-TR

Posted by Barbara Melville Aug 5, 2008

I decided an article on the DSM-IV-TR was long overdue. DSM-IV-TR stands for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition text revision (you can take a breath now). Published by the American Psychiatric Association, it is the standard handbook used by mental health professionals in the United States, listing mental disorders and descriptive diagnostic criteria. The DSM-V planning is underway and the full revision is due to be published in 2012.

The DSM-IV-TR informs several of my articles and I felt it I should write an overview article for those who are unfamiliar. However, I don’t think it’s enough. This is why I’ve decided to write a second article to look into, perhaps discuss, some of the praises and criticisms of this manual. The controversy of mental health never sleeps. I, however, do sleep and so I can’t stop and explain every controversial term or topic every time I come across one. I can only explore them in new articles.

I don’t hold a largely negative view of the DSM-IV-TR. I think it is a useful guide and at present I can only envisage improvements, not alternatives. My main criticism is that it doesn’t cite references, which I think is poor (even if they do publish sourcebooks). If I use a book that boasts a strong evidence base, I expect them to back it up within those pages. The expertise surrounding the consultation and production of these manuals is not a swaying factor for me – expertise and evidence are not synonymous.