Public Comment Period Opens for First Set of New Proposals to Update DSM-5

摘要

The approach that has been used for revising the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA’s) DSM since its inception has been to overhaul the diagnostic classification in its entirety at fixed intervals. While revising the entire DSM in this way has some advantages, such as ensuring the uniformity and stability of the diagnostic definitions during the interval in which the manual is in effect, a significant disadvantage is that it prevents the incorporation of new scientific knowledge into DSM as it emerges.