Psychology
ADHD in adults: signs, assessment and treatment
Adult ADHD is real, under-diagnosed in women, and over-claimed online. How it looks, how to get assessed, what treatment does, and why study pills are a bad bet.
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DSM-5
Also known as DSM-5-TR, DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: the American Psychiatric Association's handbook of criteria for diagnosing mental health conditions. The current edition is DSM-5-TR (2022).
In Psychology
The DSM is a reference manual, published by the American Psychiatric Association, that lists mental health conditions and the criteria for diagnosing each — which symptoms, for how long, and how much they affect daily life. Its purpose is that two clinicians assessing the same person reach the same diagnosis.
DSM-5 was published in 2013. The current version, DSM-5-TR (text revision), came out in 2022: it updated the text with newer research, added as a new diagnosis, and added codes for suicidal behaviour and non-suicidal .
DSM and ICD
The DSM is used mainly in the United States and in research. The WHO's is the international system for recording diagnoses. For most common conditions the two largely agree.
Where this comes up
Psychology
ADHD in children: signs, diagnosis and treatment
ADHD is more than an active child. What the signs are, what else can look like it, how it is assessed, and which treatments help at each age.
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Autism: early signs, diagnosis and support
Early signs of autism by age, the difference between a late talker and an autistic child, how diagnosis works, what support helps — and the 'cures' that harm.
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Psychology
Borderline personality disorder (emotionally unstable personality disorder)
BPD causes intense, fast-changing emotions, fear of abandonment and self-harm. It is treatable with specialist therapy, and most people improve over time.
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Related terms
- ICD-11ICD, ICD-10The World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision: the global system for naming and coding all diseases, including mental disorders. It came into effect on 1 January 2022.
- PsychiatryPsychiatrist, Psychiatric doctorThe branch of medicine that diagnoses and treats mental illness. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor with specialist training who can prescribe medicine as well as offer therapy.
- StigmaMental health stigma, Self-stigmaNegative attitudes, stereotypes and discrimination directed at people with a condition. In mental health it is the shame and fear that stop many people from seeking help.