What Are DSM-5 Specifiers?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Specifiers are

extensions to a diagnosis to further clarify a disorder or illness

. They allow for a more specific diagnosis. They are used extensively in the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) primarily in the diagnosis of mood disorders.

What is the DSM-5 in simple terms?

DSM–5 is

a manual for assessment and diagnosis of mental disorders

and does not include information or guidelines for treatment of any disorder. That said, determining an accurate diagnosis is the first step toward being able to appropriately treat any medical condition, and mental disorders are no exception.

What is a specifier in diagnosis?

Specifiers are

extensions to a diagnosis that further clarify the course, severity, or special features of a disorder or illness

.

What are DSM-5 subtypes?

n. in diagnostic classification, a subordinate category of a disorder. In DSM–IV–TR and DSM–5, for example, specific phobias are divided into several subtypes, such as

specific phobia

, animal type (e.g., fear of snakes); specific phobia, situational type (e.g., fear of flying); and others.

How do you write a DSM-5 diagnosis with specifiers?

Under the newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a provisional diagnosis is indicated by

placing the specifier “provisional” in parentheses next to the name of the diagnosis

. 1 For example, it might say something like 309.81 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (provisional).

What is a DSM category?

Published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the DSM

covers all categories of mental health disorders for both adults and children

. It contains descriptions, symptoms, and other criteria necessary for diagnosing mental health disorders.

What are the 5 axes of the DSM?

  • What Are the Five Axes in a Multiaxial Diagnosis?
  • Axis I: Clinical Disorders.
  • Axis II: Personality Disorders or Mental Retardation.
  • Axis III: Medical or Physical Conditions.
  • Axis IV: Contributing Environmental or Psychosocial Factors.
  • Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning.

What is the goal of DSM-5?

A key goal of DSM-5 was

to create a more dimensional characterization of psychiatric disorders

, juxtaposed on the traditional categorical diagnostic classifications. There are several diagnostic groups for which there were few, if any, major changes in diagnostic criteria.

What is the difference between DSM 4 and 5?

In the DSM-IV, patients only needed one symptom present to be diagnosed with substance abuse, while the DSM-5 requires two or more symptoms in order to be diagnosed with substance use disorder. The DSM-

5 eliminated the physiological subtype

and the diagnosis of polysubstance dependence.

What does the DSM-5 say about dissociative identity disorder?

The DSM-5 provides the following criteria to diagnose dissociative identity disorder:

Two or more distinct identities or personality states are present, each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving

, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self.

What are melancholic features?

To be diagnosed with melancholic features, you must have at least three of these symptoms:

Depression that is different from grief

.

Weight loss or loss of appetite

.

Slowed activity or restlessness

.

Excessive guilt

.

What is the difference between bipolar 1 and bipolar 2?

Bipolar I disorder involves periods of severe mood episodes from

mania to depression

. Bipolar II disorder is a milder form of mood elevation, involving milder episodes of hypomania that alternate with periods of severe depression.

Is anxiety a symptom of bipolar disorder?

Sometimes severe mood episodes, extreme irritability, and other pronounced symptoms of bipolar disorder mask underlying obsessive thoughts, compulsions, worries, or other anxiety symptoms. It’s recommended that children with bipolar disorder are also assessed for an anxiety disorder.

What are the major changes in the DSM-5?

However, several changes have been made in DSM-5: 1) examples have been added to the criterion items to facilitate application across the life span; 2) the cross-situational requirement has been strengthened to “several” symptoms in each setting; 3) the

onset criterion has been changed from “symptoms that caused

What is anxiety according to DSM-5?

DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for Generalized

Anxiety Disorder. A.

Excessive anxiety and worry

(apprehensive expectation), occurring more days than not for at. least 6 months, about a number of events or activities (such as work or school performance)

How many categories of depression does the DSM-5 recognize?


Three new depressive disorders

are included in DSM-5: disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder; the first of these will not be discussed in this article but will be considered in the review of “Neurodevelopmental and Other Disorders of Childhood and …

Rachel Ostrander
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Rachel Ostrander
Rachel is a career coach and HR consultant with over 5 years of experience working with job seekers and employers. She holds a degree in human resources management and has worked with leading companies such as Google and Amazon. Rachel is passionate about helping people find fulfilling careers and providing practical advice for navigating the job market.