Full Definition

The Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (2014 American-Psychiatric Association). The creation of the fifth edition of the DMS -5 was a massive undertaking that involved hundreds of people working towards a common goal over a 12-year process. Much thought and deliberation were involved in the evaluating the diagnostic criteria, considering the organization of every aspect of the manual and creating new features believed to be most useful to clinicians. All of these efforts were directed toward the goal of enhancing the clinical usefulness of DSM-5 as a guide to mental disorders.