FIGURE 14.1 Diagnostic Classifications in DSM-5 Each of the more than 260 psychological disorders described in DSM-5 has specific criteria that must be met for a person to be diagnosed with that disorder. Although the DSM has been criticized over the years, it serves several important roles in mental health care. For example, anyone who seeks treatment for mental illness and who wishes to have the treatment covered by insurance must receive a DSM diagnosis. Moreover, standardized diagnoses allow clinicians, such as a psychologist and a psychiatrist, to communicate with each other about a patient. Additionally, diagnoses provide a structure that allows researchers to design studies that can be replicated by other people. Shown above is a list of the major diagnostic classifications in DSM-5. Every diagnosis falls in one of these categories.
Source: Reprinted with permission from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, (Copyright ©2013). American Psychiatric Association. All Rights Reserved.