Allen Frances; John Grohol on DSM-V revision process
January 4, 2010
Allen Frances, MD; John Grohol, PsyD, on DSM-V revision process
Post #6 Shortlink: http://wp.me/pKrrB-bS
There’s been no response, so far, on the DSM-V pages of Psychiatric Times to the news that the APA has extended its timeline by 12 months.
On 3 December, Dr Allen Frances, MD, who chaired the DSM-IV Task Force, had published that according to his sources, the APA’s original plan to schedule field trials before the proposed changes could be vetted by the field and with an “impossible publication deadline” of May 2012 was being shelved and that field trials would now follow the posting of options; the publication of DSM-5 was expected to be postponed until May 2013.
COMMENTARY
Alert to the Research Community—Be Prepared to Weigh in on DSM-V
by Allen Frances, MD
03 December 2009
Dr Frances was the chair of the DSM-IV Task Force and of the department of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC. He is currently professor emeritus at Duke.
This commentary will suggest how the research community can be instrumental in improving DSM-V and helping it avoid unintended consequences. According to several converging, anonymous (but I think quite reliable) sources to which I have had access, the draft options for DSM-V will finally be posted between mid-January and mid-February 2010. There will then be just one additional month until mid-March for collecting comments.* The good news is that the products of a previously closed process will finally be available for wide review and correction. The bad news is that there will be only a very brief period allotted for this absolutely crucial input from the field…
…The research community has a central role and a great responsibility in taking advantage of this precious opportunity to carefully review and identify the problems in the DSM-V drafts and to suggest solutions…
Read full commentary here
The APA board has declined to comment on Dr Frances’ comments.
Catch up with the often acerbic exchanges between Drs Spitzer and Frances, APA board members and others with past and current involvement with DSM revisions on Psychiatric Times DSM-V Resource pages.
*APA has since rescheduled date of publication of draft options to 10 February 2010
Commentary here on DSM revision controversies from Dr John M Grohol PsyD:
Psych Central
DSM-V: Suggestions for Change
by John M Grohol, PsyD
Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central.
Dr Grohol offers 8 suggestions for “Fixing the DSM Revision Process”
An earlier piece by Grohol around DSM-5:
Psych Central
Transparency, Kupfer and the DSM-V
by John M Grohol, PsyD
dx revision watch 