Advancing DSM (PDF)

In Advancing DSM, leading psychiatric clinicians and researchers contribute case studies that are unresolved, are rife with controversy, and illuminate limitations of the current diagnostic system. Along with analysis of clinical cases, the contributors recommend broad changes to DSM to incorporate new knowledge from psychiatry and neuroscience and findings from new methods of diagnostic testing.

Advancing DSM is a rich treasury of intriguing information for all clinicians and researchers. You will Develop an understanding of some of the shortfalls of the current system that will help you make better clinical decisions. Accurate diagnosis is the foundation for selecting the best treatment, determining prognosis, and enhancing our understanding of patients. With the help of real-world case examples, you'll develop a solid understanding of the complexities involved in making clinical diagnoses. Learn about developments that will advance future editions of DSM. Find out how new developments in psychiatry and neuroscience and new diagnostic testing tools such as functional MRI are changing the face of psychiatric diagnosis and will inform future editions of DSM. Be alerted to some of the vital questions that must be answered before a new DSM is developed. Each chapter raises important questions to answer if we are to develop new, more accurate, and more reliable diagnoses. For example, how do we determine the causes of mental disorders? How do we define a mental disorder? How should the groupings of disorders be revised to reflect information on etiology and pathophysiology? What are the implications of laboratory testing and neuroimaging for psychiatric diagnosis and practice? and many more.

DSM has been a landmark achievement for the field. By allowing reliable diagnosis, it has brought order out of chaos and fostered groundbreaking advances in research and clinical care. Advancing DSM will brief you on exciting changes in psychiatry today that will impact the DSM of tomorrow.