Often referred to as the “bible” for the medical discipline of psychiatry, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, still in its fourth edition overall, is preparing for a makeover — its first since 1994. This was the reference that was the handbook for getting through psychiatric rotations in medical school and residency. Its focus is to provide criteria for diagnosing mental disorders. Incorrectly referred to as a “cookbook” by many, the manual actually stands as complementary to the myriad postulates and patient presentations often part of the challenging workup toward a clinical psychiatric diagnosis.

Scheduled for release in 2013, the fifth edition is now in its final stages of preparation. Starting today, a task force commissioned with proposals for the upcoming edition is now soliciting public comment on proposed changes — which include everything from the proper nomenclature for substance abuse to the increasingly necessary strict determination of the diagnosis of autism. | LINK

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