Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Also written as: DSM — Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
The American Psychiatric Association's authoritative classification system for mental disorders, used as the primary diagnostic reference in U.S. community psychiatry practice, documentation, and research.
Full Definition
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), currently in its fifth edition with a text revision (DSM-5-TR), provides standardised diagnostic criteria and codes for mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders. In community psychiatry editing, DSM diagnostic codes and disorder names must be reproduced exactly as they appear in the current edition, including punctuation, hyphens, and capitalisation. Editors should note that the DSM and ICD-10-CM are parallel classification systems with partially overlapping codes; in U.S. billing contexts, ICD-10-CM codes are used for reimbursement, while DSM criteria govern diagnostic formulation. Misquoting a DSM disorder name — for example writing 'Bipolar Disorder I' instead of 'Bipolar I Disorder' — is a common editorial error. The abbreviation DSM-5-TR should be used in preference to the outdated 'DSM-IV' in current-practice documents.
Usage
Usage note: Use 'DSM-5-TR' (with hyphen and no space) for the current edition. Do not omit the edition number. Disorder names must match exact DSM wording — do not paraphrase. Cross-reference ICD-10-CM codes separately for billing documentation.
In Context
- "All diagnostic impressions in the assessment must include the corresponding DSM-5-TR diagnosis and specifier." — Psychological evaluation report
- "The grant application incorrectly cited 'DSM-IV criteria', which should be updated to DSM-5-TR throughout." — Editorial feedback on grant narrative