Psychopathology

Question 1

What is a Classification System?

Answer 1

A classification system is a comprehensive list of categories, including detailed descriptions of the symptoms characteristic of each.

Question 2

What is DSM?

Answer 2

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and is published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Question 3

When was the first version of DSM published?

Answer 3

The first version of DSM was published in 1952 and it has been updated regularly as ideas about abnormality change and more information is gathered.

Question 4

What is the current version of the DSM?

Answer 4

The current version is the 5th edition, called the DSM- 5 which took more than a decade to develop. This was published in 2013.

Question 5

What does the DSM- 5 classify?

Answer 5

The DSM- 5 classifies mental disorders into major groups, including:
- depressive disorders
- anxiety disorders
- obsessive compulsive and related disorders
- feeding and eating disorders

Question 6

Why is Classification Important?

Answer 6

Classification is necessary to help diagnose and treat mental disorders.