Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, is considered the authoritative source within the United States for mental health diagnoses. The manual offers detailed guidance on mental health concerns across the life span from early childhood neurodevelopmental disorders to adult personality disorders and later geriatric neurocognitive disorders. Clinicians and researchers utilized this resource across multiple disciplines, including counseling, education, medicine, [Page 504]psychology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and social work fields. Therefore, the DSM offers a common theoretical framework for understanding mental health issues and a recognized nomenclature to facilitate cross-discipline collaboration. In addition, the DSM coded diagnoses data collected through hospitals and treatment providers, yielding important national information on diagnoses trends, which then informs policy decisions for service provision, ...