American Psychiatric Association Board of Trustees approves final DSM-5 diagnostic criteria

American Psychiatric Association Board of Trustees approves final DSM-5 diagnostic criteria

Post #2012 Shortlink: http://wp.me/pKrrB-2xu

Yesterday, December 1, the American Psychiatric Association issued a news release – full text posted below or open PDF here: APA News Release 12.01.12

or download here: http://www.psychiatry.org/advocacy–newsroom/news-releases

There was also an alert published on Pyschiatric News here: APA Board of Trustees Approves DSM-5

A message from APA President Dilip Jeste, M.D., on DSM-5 was also published.

I’ll be compiling links to media coverage in the next post.

Contact: For Immediate Release:

Eve Herold, 703-907- 8640 December 1, 2012

press@psych.org  Release No. 12-43

Erin Connors, 703-907-8562

econnors@psych.org

Tamara Moore, 610-360-3405

tmoore@gymr.com

American Psychiatric Association Board of Trustees Approves DSM-5

Diagnostic manual passes major milestone before May 2013 publication

ARLINGTON, Va. (December 1, 2012) – The American Psychiatric Association (APA) Board of Trustees has approved the final diagnostic criteria for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The trustees’ action marks the end of the manual’s comprehensive revision process, which has spanned over a decade and included contributions from more than 1,500 experts in psychiatry, psychology, social work, psychiatric nursing, pediatrics, neurology, and other related fields from 39 countries. These final criteria will be available when DSM-5 is completed and published in spring 2013.

“The Board of Trustees approval of the criteria is a vote of confidence for DSM-5,” said Dilip Jeste, MD, president of APA. ―We developed DSM-5 by utilizing the best experts in the field and extensive reviews of the scientific literature and original research, and we have produced a manual that best represents the current science and will be useful to clinicians and the patients they serve.”

DSM-5 is the guidebook used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders. Now that the criteria have been approved, review of the criteria and text describing the disorders will continue to undergo final editing and then publication by American Psychiatric Publishing.

The manual will include approximately the same number of disorders that were included in DSM-IV. This goes against the trend from other areas of medicine that increase the number of diagnoses annually.

“We have sought to be conservative in our approach to revising DSM-5. Our work has been aimed at more accurately defining mental disorders that have a real impact on people’s lives, not expanding the scope of psychiatry,” said David J. Kupfer, MD, chair of the DSM-5 Task Force. “I’m thrilled to have the Board of Trustees’ support for the revisions and for us to move forward toward the publication.”

Organization of DSM-5

DSM-5 will be comprised of three sections:

Section 1 will give an introduction to DSM-5 with information on how to use the updated manual;

Section 2 will outline the categorical diagnoses according to a revised chapter organization; and

Section 3 will include conditions that require further research before their consideration as formal disorders, as well as cultural formulations, glossary, the names of individuals involved in DSM-5’s development and other information.

Summary of Decisions for DSM-5

Key decisions made by the Board of Trustees include:*

• Overall Substantive Changes

o Chapter order

o Removal of multiaxial system

• Section 2 Disorders

o Autism spectrum disorder

o Binge eating disorder

o Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

o Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder

o Hoarding disorder

o Pedophilic disorder

o Personality disorders

o Posttraumatic stress disorder

o Removal of bereavement exclusion

o Specific learning disorders

o Substance use disorder

• Section 3 Disorders

o Attenuated psychosis syndrome

o Internet use gaming disorder

o Non-suicidal self-injury

o Suicidal behavioral disorder

• Disorders Not Accepted for Sections 2 or 3

o Anxious depression

o Hypersexual disorder

o Parental alienation syndrome

o Sensory processing disorder

* More information on select decisions is available in Attachment A.

Collaborative Process for Development of DSM-5

Beginning in 1999, during the initial phase of this DSM revision, the APA engaged almost 400 international research investigators in 13 conferences supported by the National Institutes of Health. To invite comments from the wider research, clinical and consumer communities, the APA launched a DSM-5 Prelude website in 2004 to garner questions, comments, and research findings during the development process.

Starting in 2007 and 2008, the DSM-5 Task Force and Work Groups, made up of more than 160 world-renowned clinicians and researchers, were tasked with building on the previous seven years of scientific reviews, conducting additional focused reviews, and garnering input from a breadth of advisors as the basis for proposing draft criteria. In addition to the Work Groups in diagnostic categories, study groups were assigned to review gender, age and cross-cultural issues. The Work Groups have led the effort to review the scientific advances and research-based information that have formed the basis of the content for DSM-5.

The first draft of proposed changes was posted publicly on the website www.DSM5.org in February 2010 and the site also posted two subsequent drafts. With each draft, the site accepted feedback on proposed changes, receiving more than 13,000 comments on draft diagnostic criteria from mental health clinicians and researchers, the overall medical community, and patients, families, and advocates. Following each comment period, the DSM-5 Task Force and Work Groups reviewed and considered each response and made revisions where warranted.

The Work Groups’ proposals were evaluated by the Task Force and two panels convened specifically to evaluate the proposals—a Scientific Review Committee and a Clinical and Public Health Committee. The Scientific Review Committee looked at the supporting data for proposed changes. The Clinical and Public Health Committee was charged with assessing the potential impact of changes to clinical practice and public health. Additionally, there was a forensic review by members of the Council on Psychiatry and Law.

All of the reviews were coordinated in meetings of the Summit Group, which includes the DSM-5 Task Force co-chairs, and review committee co-chairs, consultants, and members of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. The criteria were then put before the APA Assembly for review and approval. The Board of Trustees’ review was the final step in this multilevel, comprehensive process.

“At every step of development, we have worked to make the process as open and inclusive as possible. The level of transparency we have strived for is not seen in any other area of medicine,” said James H. Scully, MD, medical director and chief executive officer of APA.

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The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at www.psychiatry.org .

Attachment A: Select Decisions Made by APA Board of Trustees

Overall Changes

 • Chapter order: DSM-5’s 20 chapters will be restructured based on disorders’ apparent relatedness to one another, as reflected by similarities in disorders’ underlying vulnerabilities and symptom characteristics. The changes will align DSM-5 with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases, eleventh edition (ICD-11) and are expected to facilitate improved communication and common use of diagnoses across disorders within chapters.

 • Removal of multiaxial system: DSM-5 will move to a nonaxial documentation of diagnosis, combining the former Axes I, II, and III, with separate notations for psychosocial and contextual factors (formerly Axis IV) and disability (formerly Axis V).

Section 2 Disorders

1. Autism spectrum disorder: The criteria will incorporate several diagnoses from DSM-IV including autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder (not otherwise specified), into the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder for DSM-5 to help more accurately and consistently diagnose children with autism.

2. Binge eating disorder will be moved from DSM-IV’s Appendix B: Criteria Sets and Axes Provided for Further Study to DSM-5 Section 2. The change is intended to better represent the symptoms and behaviors of people with this condition.

3. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder will be included in DSM-5 to diagnose children who exhibit persistent irritability and frequent episodes of behavior outbursts three or more times a week for more than a year. The diagnosis is intended to address concerns about potential over-diagnosis and overtreatment of bipolar disorder in children.

4. Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder is new to DSM-5 and will be included in the Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders chapter.

5. Hoarding disorder is new to DSM-5. Its addition to DSM is supported by extensive scientific research on this disorder. This disorder will help characterize people with persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value. The behavior usually has harmful effects—emotional, physical, social, financial and even legal—for a hoarder and family members.

6. Pedophilic disorder criteria will remain unchanged from DSM-IV, but the disorder name will be revised from pedophilia to pedophilic disorder.

7. Personality disorders: DSM-5 will maintain the categorical model and criteria for the 10 personality disorders included in DSM-IV and will include the new trait-specific methodology in a separate area of Section 3 to encourage further study how this could be used to diagnose personality disorders in clinical practice.

8. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will be included in a new chapter in DSM-5 on Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders. DSM-5 pays more attention to the behavioral symptoms that accompany PTSD and proposes four distinct diagnostic clusters instead of three. PTSD will also be more developmentally sensitive for children and adolescents.

9. Removal of bereavement exclusion: the exclusion criterion in DSM-IV applied to people experiencing depressive symptoms lasting less than two months following the death of a loved one has been removed and replaced by several notes within the text delineating the differences between grief and depression. This reflects the recognition that bereavement is a severe psychosocial stressor that can precipitate a major depressive episode beginning soon after the loss of a loved one.

10. Specific learning disorder broadens the DSM-IV criteria to represent distinct disorders which interfere with the acquisition and use of one or more of the following academic skills: oral language, reading, written language, or mathematics.

11. Substance use disorder will combine the DSM-IV categories of substance abuse and substance dependence. In this one overarching disorder, the criteria have not only been combined, but strengthened. Previous substance abuse criteria required only one symptom while the DSM-5’s mild substance use disorder requires two to three symptoms.

http://www.psychnews.org/files/DSM-message.pdf

PDF: Message from APA President on DSM-5

A Message From APA President Dilip Jeste, M.D., on DSM-5

December 1, 2012

I am pleased to announce that DSM-5 has just been approved by APA’s Board of Trustees. Getting to the finish line has taken a decade of arduous work and tens of thousands of pro-bono hours from more than 1,500 experts in psychiatry, psychology, social work, psychiatric nursing, pediatrics, neurology, and other related fields from 39 countries. We look forward to the book’s publication next May.

The goal of the DSM-5 process has been to develop a scientifically based manual of psychiatric diagnosis that is useful for clinicians and our patients. APA’s interest in developing DSM dates back to the organization’s inception in 1844, when one of its original missions was to gather statistics on the prevalence of mental illness. In 1917, the Association officially adopted the first system for uniform statistical reporting called the Statistical Manual for the Use of Hospitals for Mental Diseases, which was adopted successfully by mental hospitals throughout the country. It was expanded into the first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 1952 and first revised (DSM-II) in 1968. Like the rest of the field in that era, these first two versions were substantially influenced by psychoanalytic theories.

With advances in clinical and scientific knowledge, changes in diagnostic systems are inevitable. The World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD)—the standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management, and clinical care used around the world, which covers all medical diagnoses—has been through 10 editions since the late 1800s and is now preparing its 11th edition, due in 2015. Likewise, DSM has undergone changes to take into account progress in our understanding of mental illnesses. DSM-III, published in 1980 under the leadership of Dr. Robert Spitzer, and DSM-IV, published in 1994 under the leadership of Dr. Allen Frances, represented the state of science of psychiatry at those times and significantly advanced the field.

In the two decades since the publication of DSM-IV, we have witnessed a wealth of new studies on epidemiology, neurobiology, psychopathology, and treatment of various mental illnesses. So, it was time for APA to consider making necessary modifications in the diagnostic categories and criteria based on new scientific evidence. But there were, of course, challenges inherent in revising an established diagnostic system.

The primary criterion for any diagnostic revisions should be strictly scientific evidence. However, there are sometimes differences of opinion among scientific experts. At present, most psychiatric disorders lack validated diagnostic biomarkers, and although considerable advances are being made in the arena of neurobiology, psychiatric diagnoses are still mostly based on clinician assessment.

Also, there are unintended consequences of psychiatric diagnosis. Some arise from the unfortunate social stigma and discrimination in getting jobs or even obtaining health insurance (notwithstanding the mental health parity law) associated with a psychiatric illness. There is also the double-edged sword of underdiagnosis and overdiagnosis. Narrowing diagnostic criteria may be blamed for excluding some patients from insurance coverage and needed services, while expanded efforts to diagnose (and treat) patients in the early stages of illness to prevent its chronicity are sometimes criticized for increasing its prevalence and potentially expanding the market for the pharmaceutical industry. (It should be noted, however, that DSM is not a treatment manual and that diagnosis does not equate to a need for pharmacotherapy.)

APA has carefully sought to balance the benefits of the latest scientific evidence with the risks of changing diagnostic categories and criteria. We realize that, given conflicting views among different stakeholders, there will be inevitable disagreements about some of the proposals—whether they involve retaining the traditional DSM-IV criteria or modifying them.

The process of developing DSM-5 began in earnest in 2006, when APA appointed Dr. David Kupfer as chair and Dr. Darrel Regier as vice chair of the task force to oversee the development of DSM-5. The task force included the chairs of 13 diagnostic work groups, who scrutinized the research and literature base, analyzed the findings of field trials, reviewed public comments, and wrote the content for specific disorder categories within DSM-5. To ensure transparency and reduce industry-related conflicts of interest, APA instituted a strict policy that all task force and work group members had to make open disclosures and restrict their income from industry. In fact, the vast majority of the task force and work group members had no financial relationship with industry.

To obtain independent reviews of the work groups’ diagnostic proposals, the APA Board of Trustees appointed several review committees. These included the Scientific Review Committee (co-chaired by Drs. Ken Kendler and Robert Freeman), Clinical and Public Health Committee (co-chaired by Drs. Jack McIntyre and Joel Yager), and APA Assembly Committee (chaired by Dr. Glenn Martin). Additionally, there was a forensic review by members of the Council on Psychiatry and Law. Drs. Paul Appelbaum and Michael First were consultants on forensic issues and criteria/public comments, respectively. Reviews by all these groups were coordinated in meetings of the Summit Group, which included the task force and review committee co-chairs and consultants along with members of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

There has been much more public interest and media scrutiny of DSM-5 than any previous revisions. This reflects greater public awareness and media interest in mental illness, as well as widespread use of the Internet and social media. To facilitate this transparent process, APA created a Web site (www.dsm5.org ) where preliminary draft revisions were available for the public to examine, critique, and comment on. More than 13,000 Web site comments and 12,000 additional comments from e-mails, letters, and other forms of communication were received. Members of the DSM-5 work groups reviewed the feedback submitted to the Web site and, where appropriate, made modifications in their proposed diagnostic criteria.

We believe that DSM-5 reflects our best scientific understanding of psychiatric disorders and will optimally serve clinical and public health needs. Our hope is that the DSM-5 will lead to more accurate diagnoses, better access to mental health services, and improved patient outcomes.

DSM-5 draft criteria draws nearly 2,300 responses in final public comment period

DSM-5 draft criteria draws nearly 2,300 responses in final public comment period

Post #187 Shortlink: http://wp.me/pKrrB-2j0

According to a Press Release issued yesterday by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the final public comment period on draft diagnostic criteria for the forthcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) drew 2,298 responses.

APA previously reported receiving around 8,600 comments in the first stakeholder comment period and around 2,100 submissions in the second review.

During the second public comment period (May-June 2011), the specific diagnostic categories that received the most comments had been the sexual and gender identity disorders, followed closely by somatic symptom disorders and anxiety disorders.  (As reported by DSM-5 Task Force Vice-chair, Darrel Regier M.D.)

For this final review that closed on June 15, APA reports, “Although each disorder area drew a wide range of comments, the two Work Groups with the highest number were the Neurodevelopmental Work Group (397 comments) and the Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum, Posttraumatic Stress and Dissociative Disorders Work Group (545 comments). APA also received more than 800 comments focused broadly on DSM-5.”

 

No publication of field trial data

What the News Release fails to address is APA’s withholding of its field trial results while the third and final feedback exercise was in progress, other than releasing some Kappa data to press and conference at its Annual Meeting, in May. Professional stakeholders, advocacy organizations and lay public have been obliged to submit feedback on the third draft without the benefit of scrutiny of reliability and prevalence data to inform their submissions.

[See: Deborah Brauser for Medscape Medical News: interview with Darrel Regier, May 8, 2012 and reports by 1 Boring Old Man]

APA has given no indication of whether it still intends placing Kappa results and other field trial findings in the public domain or whether reports on its field trial findings will only be accessible at some point in the future published in subscription only or pay by the paper peer review journals, from which many stakeholders would be disenfranchised.

On June 17, I asked American Psychiatric Association’s CEO and Medical Director, Dr James H. Scully, why the field trial report was withheld; whether Task Force still intends placing field trial data in the public domain and when a report might be anticipated. I’ve received no response.

 

Collating submissions

I continue to collate copies of submissions from patient organizations, patients and advocates on these pages in response to the proposals of the Somatic Symptom Disorders Work Group. If professional body submissions include comment on this specific section of DSM-5, I would be interested in receiving copies with a view to publication of extracts or links to full submissions.

Given that thresholds for the Somatic Symptom Disorder criteria have been lowered for the third draft and given the implications for their constituencies, the response of US, UK and international patient organizations to calls for submissions in this third and final review was abysmal.

I’d like to thank patients, advocates and those organizations that did submit comment in response to the proposals of the Somatic Symptom Disorders Work Group.  I’d also like to thank Maarten Maartensz for his commentaries on DSM-5 proposals over the past two years.

 

APA News Release June 26, 2012 appended:

Open PDF Press Release No. 12-30

DSM-5 Draft Criteria Draws Nearly 2,300 Responses

Mental health diagnostic manual closes final public comment period

ARLINGTON, Va. (June 26, 2012) – The final public comment period for the draft diagnostic criteria of the upcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) drew 2,298 responses from across the country and abroad. The six-week comment period ended June 15.

This feedback, submitted online to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), adds to the extensive responses submitted during the two other open comment periods. In total, more than 15,000 comments about the proposed DSM-5 criteria have been received since 2010 from mental health clinicians and researchers, the overall medical community, and patients, families and advocates. As was the case following the other comment periods, the DSM-5 Task Force and Work Groups will now review and consider each response as they begin final revisions to the criteria.

“Every comment period has provided valuable perspective from a wide range of professionals, consumers and advocates,” said APA President Dilip V. Jeste, MD. “We are grateful for their participation and willingness to review the draft proposals and to share their opinions and experiences. The Work Groups consider the feedback a huge asset as they shape the final DSM-5 proposals.”

Although each disorder area drew a wide range of comments, the two Work Groups with the highest number were the Neurodevelopmental Work Group (397 comments) and the Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum, Posttraumatic Stress and Dissociative Disorders Work Group (545 comments). APA also received more than 800 comments focused broadly on DSM-5.

After the Work Groups make their last revisions to the draft diagnostic criteria, the proposals will receive multi-level reviews by the entire DSM-5 Task Force, a separate Scientific Review Committee and a Clinical and Public Health Committee. The latter two committees will be working to evaluate the strength of scientific evidence supporting significant changes and to assess the impact of changes for clinicians and public health.

The Task Force will make recommendations to the APA Board of Trustees for its final decisions on the manual’s fifth edition late this year.

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose more than 36,000 physicians specialize in the diagnosis, treatment prevention and research of mental illnesses, including substance abuse disorders. Visit the APA at www.psych.org  and www.healthyminds.org.