American Psychiatric Association

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

(known as DSM or DSM-IV), is known as the “bible” of the psychiatric profession due to its complete listing of mental disorders recognized by doctors, therapists, and health insurers. In the following viewpoint, the American Psychiatric Association (APA), which compiles the DSM, defends the process in which mental diseases are added to the manual. A diagnosis cannot be based on the DSM alone, the APA argues; psychiatric training in the recognition and treatment of mental diseases is also essential to making an accurate diagnosis. The APA is an organization of psychiatrists dedicated to studying the nature, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to the APA, what steps do psychiatrists take to diagnose a mental disorder...