Select Page

Find a CBT Therapist

Search through our directory of local clinicians.

Upcoming Revisions to the DSM-5: What Can We Expect?

Featured Articles

Upcoming Revisions to the DSM-5: What Can We Expect?
Lindsey Norton

“The DSM is really the foundational framework for mental health diagnosis,” said Dr. Maria Oquendo. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) is expecting imminent changes, the details of which are still largely unknown. Dr. Maria Oquendo, the chair of the Strategic Committee in charge of these revisions, and the American Psychological Association (APA) has begun introducing some ideas for its next revision.

Initial reports state that the new manual will serve as a digital, “living document” that can be edited with ease. Historically, the DSM undergoes revisions approximately every 15 years, to reflect ever-changing advancements in science, clinical practice, and sociocultural phenomena. Despite being the gold standard for clinical diagnosis and mental health conditions, the DSM has some limitations. Stakeholders receive varied timelines of access to a new version of the manual once it is released, disrupting coherence in practice within the field. Adopting an online model would allow all users to receive and utilize the updated version simultaneously. This format would also imply that the DSM may be more readily evaluated and updated.

The upcoming version of the manual also aims to address one of the most cited critiques of the DSM-5: a lack of reference to the causes of mental disorders. Since 2010, the NIMH’s Research Domain Criteria initiative (RDoC) has strongly encouraged that research studies include biomarkers to increase our fields’ understanding of the mechanisms that impact mental health. While researchers have been studying the factors contributing to psychological disorders, especially biological influences, these have yet to make their way into the DSM. The inclusion of these determinants including genetics, biology, environmental factors, and life experiences, among others, may improve prevention efforts and treatment recommendations included in the DSM. 

The APA is prioritizing multidisciplinary input to implement these changes. Health care professionals, advocates, and affected individuals will all contribute to the revision. This aids in making the manual more comprehensive and accessible to the wide variety of individuals that use it. We can expect to see a more inclusive manual that encompasses adults, children, and their families with a variety of presentations. Highlighting lived experiences adds a layer of authenticity to the manual that extends beyond labels or diagnoses and will likely have profound impacts on the field.

 

  • If you are interested in finding a CBT therapist, click here to visit our Find a CBT Therapist directory.

    Related Information

    Suggested Resources

    What Is Cognitive Behavior Therapy?

    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a type of treatment that is based firmly on research findings.  It places emphasis on changing your cognitions (thoughts) or behaviors (actions) in order to effect change in how you feel. These approaches help people in achieving specific changes or goals.

    Changes or goals might involve:

    A way of acting: like smoking less or being more outgoing;
    A way of feeling: like helping a person to be less scared, less depressed, or less anxious;
    A way of thinking: like learning to problem-solve or get rid of self-defeating thoughts;
    A way of dealing with physical or medical problems: like reducing back pain or helping a person stick to a doctor’s suggestions.

    Cognitive behavioral therapists usually focus more on the current situation and its solution, rather than the past. They concentrate on a person’s views and beliefs about their life. CBT is an effective treatment for individuals, parents, children, couples, and families. The goal of CBT is to help people improve and gain more control over their lives by changing behaviors that don’t work well to ones that do.

    How to Get Help

    If you are looking for help, either for yourself or someone else, you may be tempted to call someone who advertises in a local publication or who comes up from a search of the Internet. You may, or may not, find a competent therapist in this manner. It is wise to check on the credentials of a psychotherapist. It is expected that competent therapists hold advanced academic degrees. They should be listed as members of professional organizations, such as the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies or the American Psychological Association. Of course, they should be licensed to practice in your state. You can find competent specialists who are affiliated with local universities or mental health facilities or who are listed on the websites of professional organizations. You may, of course, visit our website (www.abct.org) and click on “Find a CBT Therapist”

    The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) is an interdisciplinary organization committed to the advancement of a scientific approach to the understanding and amelioration of problems of the human condition. These aims are achieved through the investigation and application of behavioral, cognitive, and other evidence-based principles to assessment, prevention, and treatment.