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Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Edition 5 (DSM-5)

Definition

The DSM-5 is a handbook used by health care professionals as the authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders. It contains descriptions, symptoms, and other criteria necessary for diagnosing mental health issues.

Analogy

Think of the DSM-5 like a mechanic's manual for cars but instead for human minds. Just as a mechanic would refer to their manual to diagnose and fix car problems, psychologists use the DSM-5 to identify and treat mental disorders.

Related terms

American Psychological Association (APA): This is a professional organization representing psychology in the United States. It has over 121,000 members consisting of researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students.

International Classification of Diseases (ICD): This is another globally recognized standard diagnostic tool for health management including mental health. It provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings etc.

Psychopathology: This term refers to the study of mental illness or mental distress or the manifestation of behaviors that may be indicative of mental illness or psychological impairment.