4 Troubled Teens Blog

The American Psychiatric Association is proposing changes to its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The Association is asking for help from psychiatrists and the public to help define mental diseases for the DSM-5, the first new edition in 10 years.

The following are among the proposed changes:

• "Substance abuse" and "substance dependence" would become "addiction and related disorders," including "substance use disorders," such as "alcohol use disorder" and "heroin use disorder."
  
• "Behavioral addictions" would include gambling, but not addictions to sex or the Internet.
• Young children now diagnosed with bipolar disorder could instead be diagnosed with "temper dysregulation with dysphoria," which would include behavioral and mood problems.
• Asperger's Syndrome would no longer be a separate diagnosis but included under the term "autism spectrum."
• Binge eating would be recognized as an eating disorder.

DSM-5 is slated to be published in 2013.

Labels: dsm-v, mental_health, mental_illness

Posted By: Aspen/CRC