Just weeks before a new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is scheduled for release, the head of the National Institute of Mental Health says it’s time to change how mental conditions are categorized.
The agency will be redirecting its research focus away from the symptom-based diagnostic criteria of the DSM toward more scientifically verifiable standards, the mental health agency’s director, Thomas Insel, wrote in a recent blog post.
By shifting away from thinking about mental disorders as they are currently classified in the DSM, Insel says researchers will be able to establish a new diagnostic system based on emerging science.
“Unlike our definitions of ischemic heart disease, lymphoma or AIDS, the DSM diagnoses are based on a consensus about clusters of clinical symptoms, not any objective laboratory measure,” Insel wrote. “Patients with mental disorders deserve better.”
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What:
Participate in a live 'virtual roundtable' on the criteria for autism in the newly published DSM-5, the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The DSM-5's publication last week and a preemptive announcement from the National Institute of Mental Health that it will be directing research away from DSM categories should make for a lively and informative debate. The panelists will explore the new guidelines' impact on autism diagnosis as well as on research. Listeners will have a chance to ask the panelists questions during the discussion.
When:
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Mountain
How to participate:
At the event time, call 866-740-1260 (access code: 2979382) to listen to the live discussion.
To follow the live chat and submit your own questions, log in to readytalk.com using the access code 2979382.
Or submit your questions now by emailing them to community@sfari.org.