This introductory section describes the process of DSM revision, including field trials, public and professional review, and expert review. A note under Anxiety Disorders says that the "sequential order" of at least some DSM-5 chapters has significance that reflects the relationships between diagnoses. The DSM-5 deleted the chapter that includes disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence" opting to list them in other chapters. Section I describes DSM-5 chapter organization, its multiaxial system, and Section III's dimensional assessments.
General criticism of the DSM-5 ultimately resulted in a petition signed by 13,000 and sponsored by many mental health organizations, which called for an outside review of the document. Various scientists have argued that the DSM-5 forces clinicians to make distinctions that are not supported by solid evidence, distinctions that have major treatment implications, including drug prescriptions and the availability of health insurance coverage. Another criticism is that the development of DSM-5 was unduly influenced by input from the psychiatric drug industry. The main thrust of criticism has been that changes in the DSM have not kept pace with advances in scientific understanding of psychiatric dysfunction. The fifth edition was criticized by various authorities before it was formally published, and after it was published. Notable innovations include dropping Asperger syndrome as a distinct classification loss of subtype classifications for variant forms of schizophrenia dropping the "bereavement exclusion" for depressive disorders a revised treatment and naming of gender identity disorder to gender dysphoria, and a new gambling disorder. In most respects, DSM-5 is not greatly changed from DSM-IV-TR. The development of the new edition began with a conference in 1999 and proceeded with the formation of a Task Force in 2007, which developed and field-tested a variety of new classifications. The DSM-5 was published on May 18, 2013, superseding the DSM-IV-TR, which was published in 2000. Treatment recommendations, as well as payment by health care providers, are often determined by DSM classifications, so the appearance of a new version has significant practical importance.
In the United States, the DSM serves as a universal authority for the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders.
DSM-5 (formerly known as DSM-V) is the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.