Action for M.E. publish news item on DSM-5

Action for M.E. publish news item on DSM-5

Post #87 Shortlink: http://wp.me/pKrrB-1a1

Yesterday, UK patient organization, Action for M.E., published an item around the DSM-5 proposals on its News pages and confirmed that it does intend submitting comment in the second DSM-5 public review exercise. Last year’s submissions from international organizations, professionals and patient advocates are collated on this page .

To the best of my knowledge, Action for M.E. is the only organization to have confirmed, so far, that it intends to submit comment in this second stakeholder review of draft criteria for the revision of DSM-IV.

The closing date for comments is June 15.

Register to submit feedback via the DSM-5 Development website: http://tinyurl.com/Somatic-Symptom-Disorders

More information on registration and submissions: http://tinyurl.com/DSM-5-register-to-comment

From the News pages of Action for M.E.

USA: complex somatic symptom disorder

01 June 2011

US patient organisations are lobbying against proposals to include a new psychiatric category, Complex Somatic Symptom Disorder (CSSD), in the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

Version four of the manual (DSM-4) is under revision and version five (DSM-5) is due to be published May 2013.

The publication, which is produced by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), contains listings, definitions, and explanations of different psychiatric and psychological disorders.

In a letter last year, the CFIDS Association of America strongly urged the DSM-5 Task Force to abandon the proposed creation of CSSD saying:

The proposed DSM-5 revision correctly does not identify chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) as a condition within the domain of mental disorders and the DSM. However, past discussions of the Somatic Symptoms Disorder Work Group have included such physiological disorders as chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia as ‘somatic presentations of mental disorders.

…As drafted, the criteria for CSSD establish a ‘Catch-22’ paradox in which six months or more of a single or multiple somatic symptoms is classified as a mental disorder if the individual becomes ‘excessively’ concerned about his or her health.

The Massachusetts CFIDS/ME & FM Association says:

The way CSSD is defined makes it possible to either mistakenly or intentionally diagnose CFIDS/ME or Fibromyalgia in this psychiatric category. Moreover, the greater concern is whether this change could potentially lead to the reclassification of these illnesses as psychiatric conditions under CSSD.

The APA DSM-5 developmentsite says the draft is open for comment until 15 June.

UK campaigner Suzy Chapman has set up a website, Dx Revision Watch, which has further information.

Action for M.E. commented in response to the first consultation and will make a further representation in response to the second.

[Ends]