Updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders To Be Published Spring 2013

After a decade of debate addiction and substance abuse finally have their place in the American Psychiatric Association's handbook, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM). In the new (DSM-5), substance abuse and dependence will be combined into a single category of “substance use and addictive disorders.” The DSM is the official guide to classifying psychiatric illness, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-4), substance abuse is defined as short-term binging, whereas substance dependence is considered to be addiction, notes the WSJ. There will be 11 specific symptoms for the new spectrum of substance use and addictive disorders; including the inability to cut down or meet obligations at home or at work. A person with two or three symptoms will be diagnosed with a mild disorder. Someone who meets six or more will be diagnosed with a more severe disorder.

The updated classification will affect who qualifies for:

• Subsidized Services
• Insurance Reimbursements
• Treatment Programs

The DSM-5 will also combine the subcategories of autism, such as Asperger’s syndrome, into one category of autism spectrum disorder.

The new edition of the manual will be published next spring.

Related articles

• Final DSM 5 Approved by American Psychiatric Association... (psychcentral.com)
• Asperger's syndrome dropped from psychiatrists' handbook the DSM (guardian.co.uk)