The American Psychological Association proposed changes to the main book in psychiatry, the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.”
The revision would be the first since the fourth edition of the DSM was released in 1994. The DSM is used widely by psychiatrists to diagnose patients with psychiatric disorders. The new manual would not consider Internet or sex addictions as disorders.
The new DSM would also create a new category for disorders to encompass autism and Asperger’s syndrome, said U.S. News & World Report. Other changes to the book include making psychological disorder categories less rigid, allowing for symptoms to span several categories.
The final book is due in 2013.
The revision would be the first since the fourth edition of the DSM was released in 1994. The DSM is used widely by psychiatrists to diagnose patients with psychiatric disorders. The new manual would not consider Internet or sex addictions as disorders.
The new DSM would also create a new category for disorders to encompass autism and Asperger’s syndrome, said U.S. News & World Report. Other changes to the book include making psychological disorder categories less rigid, allowing for symptoms to span several categories.
The final book is due in 2013.
