DSM-5 & ICD-10

• diagnostic manuals contain info needed for clinicians to make objective, reliable diagnoses. they contain:

  • classifications of disorders into different types of symptoms of disorders (e.g: physical or behavioural changes)

  classification is the process of identifying particular symptoms which define a particular disorder - classification systems specify particular symptoms that must be present for diagnosis
• what is the DSM-5: diagnostic and statistical

  5th version of the manual - first published in 2013 and developed by the american psychiatrics association which groups MH disorders into families with linked disorders grouped together
• what would a clinician use the manual for

  use the symptoms in the manual alongside clinical interviews and medical records to gain info about the client. some diagnoses use questionnaires - some diagnoses are done quick, some require moths of interviews to understand consistency of disorders
• DSM is updated at regular intervals as understanding of MH is evolving
• what is the ICD-10

  the international statistical classification of disease, now in its 10th edition
• who is the ICD supported by and what is its aim

  WHO (world health organisation) and is updated every 10yrs - free of charge by WHO & its aim is to improve healthcare across the world. includes all diseases and disorders, not just mental
• ICD-10 illnesses are assigned codes and are avaliable in many languages which allows the international community to communicate about disorder more effectively - diagnoses can be made for specific cultural groups
• strength of DSM-5

  • research evidence by brown (2011)
  • found excellent reliability scores for multiple MH disorders - the test retest reliability scores for specific phobias are at 0.7 and for OCD at 0.75 - scores above 0.7 are good
  • suggest DSM is a reliable diagnostic tool that consistently identify certain MH disorders in individuals over time
• weakness

  • differences between the 2 manuals question reliability of diagnoses provided
  • hoffman (2015) found when the DSM-5 and ICD-10 were used in a study of alcoholism among over 7000 prisoners, 1/3 of those with mild alcohol disorder according to DSM-5 received no diagnosis from ICD-10
  • suggests if professionals used different manuals = differences in diagnosis = different treatments
• strength

  • diagnostic systems found to be increasing in reliability over time
  • poniszsky (2006) found that the test-retest reliability of patients with schizophrenia, mood disorders and anxiety has improved when comparing the older ICD-9 and newer ICD-10
  • diagnostic manuals can improve diagnosis
• weakness

  • manuals are ineffective
  • tells therapists nothing of the cause of disorders, but being able to name disorder may lead to correct treatment
  • does not help in preventative measures or targeting the source of the disorder