Question

A person wonders "how likely he is to qualify for a DSM diagnosis in his lifetime?" Assuming that this person is "typical," the MOST accurate answer (based on survey results) would be ___________.

Answer 1

The correct answer is "Likely; almost half of people will ever qualify for a DSM diagnosis."

The DSM covers only mental disorders and has been used more in research settings, because it has more detailed items, in the form of topics. It was prepared by the American Psychiatric Association.

DSM-IV identified two different conditions, substance abuse and substance dependence, the DSM-5 unites these two categories in a continuum, now called Substance Use Disorders, which can be classified as mild, moderate or severe, depending on the number of criteria fulfilled. However, there is a greater tendency towards pathologizing the phenomenon of substance use, because even moderate use, with fewer symptoms, is now classified as a disorder, even if mild.