Okuzeka
Psychology vocabulary · Assessment and Diagnosis

DSM-5

Meaning in psychology, with examples

/ˌdiː es ˌem ˈfaɪv/abbreviationCore term

In psychology, DSM-5 means: Short for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition: the American Psychiatric Association's classification of mental disorders and their diagnostic criteria.

In Turkish: DSM-5, Ruhsal Bozuklukların Tanısal ve Sayımsal El Kitabı

How it is used

Published in 2013, with a text revision (DSM-5-TR) in 2022. Widely used in research and in the US; many other countries use the WHO's ICD-11 for official coding. Clinicians say a person 'meets DSM-5 criteria' for a disorder.

Example sentences

  1. All patients met DSM-5 criteria for major depressive disorder.

  2. DSM-5 replaced the separate autism diagnoses with a single autism spectrum disorder.

Common collocations

  • DSM-5 criteria
  • meet DSM-5 criteria
  • DSM-5-TR
  • according to DSM-5
  • diagnosisThe process of identifying which mental or physical condition explains a person's difficulties, or the name of the condition that is identified.
  • mental disorderA clinically significant pattern of disturbance in thinking, emotion or behaviour that causes distress or problems in daily functioning, as defined in systems such as DSM-5 and ICD-11.
  • comorbidityThe presence of two or more disorders in the same person at the same time, such as depression together with an anxiety disorder.
  • autism spectrum disorderA neurodevelopmental condition with lasting differences in social communication and interaction, together with restricted or repetitive behaviours, interests or sensory responses.

More terms: Assessment and Diagnosis

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.