DSM

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association provides an organized standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders, and is intended for common, as well as clinical use. The DSM is used in the United States as the diagnostic guide to modern perceptions of mental illness. It is used or relied heavily upon by clinicians, physicians, researchers, psychiatric drug regulation agencies, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and public policy makers.

The current version is the DSM-IV-TR, updated as of 2001. The current DSM is organized into a five-part axial system. The first axis incorporates 'clinical disorders. The second axis covers personality disorders and intellectual disabilities. The remaining axes cover medical, psychosocial, environmental, and childhood factors functionally necessary to provide diagnostic criteria for accurate healthcare assessments. The APA has stated that they intend to release an updated version of the DSM in May of 2013, which will include a number of sweeping changes to the categorization of disorders.