MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'diagnostic and statistical manual'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:32:26 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062291&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F25%2Fbps-on-dsm%2F Some of you may be following the development of the forthcoming fifth revision to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the major book used for psychiatric diagnosis. There has been a lot of criticism due to the secrecy of the process this time around, but the British Psychological Society (BPS), the major mental health organization in the UK, is taking an even more interesting and refreshing angle: criticizing the entire current framework of diagnosis. The DSM takes a medical approach to diagnosis. In short, this means that a ‘patient’ is assumed to have an underlying ‘pathology’ that manifests as various ‘symptoms’ that are assessed to make a ‘diagnosis’ and then apply a ‘treatment’ to said diagnosis. ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062291 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:44:58 +0100 5062291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841584&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F18%2Fincreasing-mental-health-awareness-too-much-of-a-good-thing%2F Today is the American Psychological Association’s “Blog Party” in recognition of May being mental health month. The marketing effort behind designating a specific month a time to recognize and help increase awareness of a certain disease, disorder or condition is intended to help people learn more about various medical and mental health concerns. But a few weeks ago, physician H. Gilbert Welch wrote an op-ed in the LA Times that questioned whether the pendulum has swung too far the other way. Have we become a nation of people who will get diagnosed for all sorts of sub-clinical problems at the drop of a hat? Indeed, I think there is a very real danger of that becoming the case. And nowhere is that more likely than in mental health. Dr. Ron Pies talked about some of these... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841584 Wed, 18 May 2011 10:14:06 +0100 4841584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355718&cid=t_366728_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpsychiatric-diagnosis-and-the-dsm-5-controversy%2F2011.01.16 I’ve followed in bits and pieces — sometimes for Shrink Rap, sometimes because the issues fill my email inbox, sometimes because there’s no escape. Oh, and lots of the players have familiar names. In the December 27th issue of Wired magazine, Gary Greenberg writes a comprehensive article on the debates around the revision of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) upcoming revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) entitled “Inside the Battle to Define Mental Illness.” Do read it. Here’s an excerpt: I recently asked a former president of the APA how he used the DSM in his daily work. He told me his secretary had just asked him for a diagnosis on a patient he’d been seeing for a couple of months so that she could bill the insur... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355718 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:00:00 +0100 4355718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314049&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F05%2Fmeasuring-your-character-strengths%2F When we think of psychology, we tend to think disorders, deficits and distress. Abnormal psychology automatically comes to mind. But, of course, there are several types of psychology. One of them, positive psychology, takes a different approach. It focuses on how humans flourish. Specifically, positive psychology “is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive,” according to the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, home to positive psychology’s founder, Martin E.P. Seligman. It studies three principle areas, according to Seligman: positive emotions (such as happiness and hope), positive individual traits (such as strength, resilience and creativity) and positive institutions (such as better communities, ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314049 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:06:47 +0100 4314049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219747&cid=t_366728_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnarcissism-no-longer-a-personality-disorder%2F2010.12.01 Via an article in The New York Times entitled “Narcissism No Longer a Psychiatric Disorder”: Narcissistic personality disorder, characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and the need for constant attention, has been eliminated from the upcoming manual of mental disorders, which psychiatrists use to diagnose mental illness. As Charles Zanor reports in today’s Science Times, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders — due out in 2013 and known as D.S.M.-5 — has eliminated five of the 10 personality disorders that are listed in the current edition. The best known of these is narcissistic personality disorder. So, blogging is normal then? Kinda takes the fun out of it… *This blog post was originally published at Gr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219747 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:00:18 +0100 4219747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214190&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F30%2Fpersonality-disorders-shakeup-in-dsm-5%2F Narcissistic personality disorder is slated for removal from the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, to be published in 2013. So notes Charles Zanor in yesterday’s New York Times. But for some reason, Zanor glossed over the loss of four other personality disorders in the shakeup too — Paranoid, Schizoid, Histrionic and Dependent Personality Disorders. (Schizotypal, Antisocial, Borderline, Avoidant and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders will remain in the new revision.) Their intended replacements? “The Work Group recommends that [these disorders] be represented and diagnosed by a combination of core impairment in personality functioning and specific pathological personality traits, rather than as a specific ty... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214190 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:45:38 +0100 4214190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4168210&cid=t_366728_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fl2OCKDBmYig%2F In response to recent efforts to restrict the dissemination of academic research generated by contracts, the American Association of University Professors is developing new guidelines for colleges and faculty who receive corporate financing for research. The move comes after recent attempts by BP and federal agencies using Natural Resource Damage Assessment program. The disclosure was made in the recent issue of AAUP’s Academe magazine, which carries several articles, including one about conflicts of interest standards at medical journals (read here), another that reviews pharmaceutical industry influence on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (see this) and an essay detailing similar concerns in Canada, where the Canadian Association of University Profes... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4168210 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:11:41 +0100 4168210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776378&cid=t_366728_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Flife-without-a-mental-disorder-is-it-possible%2F2010.07.21 There’s a noteworthy column in Psychiatric Times, “Normality Is an Endangered Species: Psychiatric Fads and Overdiagnosis,” by Allen Frances, M.D. He was chair of the task force that worked on the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual — DSM-IV — one edition of the “bible of psychiatry.” He is professor emeritus of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine. There’s a lot of common ground between what Dr. Frances writes and what Dr. Daniel Carlat (the subject of an earlier blog posting) writes about. Dr. Frances is concerned about the directions that might be taken in the authoring of DSM-V, now underway. Excerpts: “Fads in psychiatric diagnosis come and go and have been with us as long as there has been psychiatry. The fads meet a d... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776378 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:00:01 +0100 3776378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733124&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F07%2Fare-you-a-picky-eater-or-selective-eater%2F As kids, many of us engaged in what our parents called “picky eating” — “Don’t be such a picky eater — try it, you might like it!” For whatever reasons, most kids grow out of most of their picky eating habits and learn to try new foods. Some of us may have a few food hangups, avoiding certain popular foods like the plague. But for most, eating different foods is part and parcel of the culinary experience. Some adults, however, don’t grow out of their picky eating habits and, in fact, it may sometimes get even worse as they grow older. Adults with picky eating habits (also known as “selective eating”) may find it more difficult to eat in social situations, because of the limited choices on their own personal food menu. Nobody knows... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733124 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:45:19 +0100 3733124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706670&cid=t_366728_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FNf6GszCZ5So%2F By Phyllis Greenberger. I just love this—it happens every time. Leave it to the news media to decide whether something is a real health issue or not. That they know little or nothing about the medical condition doesn’t stop them. The latest example is Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), a condition that affects as many as 20% of women. It is a loss of desire or libido without any other concurrent medical condition. But, if these journalists (and I use that term loosely) haven’t heard of a condition, especially this one because it has to do with female sexual dysfunction, they are sure a drug company made it up. I heard this with PMDD, fibromyalgia, restless leg syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome. The media and a few doctors said there was no such thing in each of these situatio... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706670 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:57:55 +0100 3706670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635862&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F07%2Fdsm-5-sleep-disorders-overhaul%2F The DSM-5 Sleep Disorders workgroup has been especially busy. They are calling for a nearly complete overhaul of the sleep disorders category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (“DSM”). According to a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in May, Charles Reynolds, MD, suggested that the reworking of this category will make sleep problems easier for professionals to diagnose and discriminate between different sleep disorders. He stated that the current DSM-IV puts too much emphasis on presumed causes of symptoms, something that the rest of the DSM-IV does not do. Bringing the sleep disorder section more in line with the other sections in the DSM should make it less confusing. Primary and commonly diagnosed sleep diso... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635862 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:35:07 +0100 3635862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3611938&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F30%2Fyou-do-make-a-difference-in-the-dsm-5%2F Good news — you can make a difference! According to a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association last week, the 8,600 comments submitted in response to the draft of the new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (called the “DSM-5″ for short — the 5 stands for the 5th edition of the book) helped spur changes in the draft. To me, this kind of change demonstrates a fundamental shift in the ability to engage in a meaningful scientific/clinical dialogue. Twenty years ago, there was no easy feedback mechanism for a project of this scale. Back then, significant time and resources would be needed in order to get legitimate and critical feedback (e.g., setting up focus groups in multiple geographic locations, ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3611938 Sun, 30 May 2010 12:55:55 +0100 3611938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3149113&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F07%2Fintroducing-therese-borchards-new-book-beyond-blue%2F Unless you’ve been living under a rock this past year, you probably noticed that one of our regular contributors here has been Therese Borchard. However, she blogs more often and more regularly on her beliefnet.com blog, Beyond Blue. It was actually her wonderfully witty and touching writing there that led me to invite her to blog more regularly here. Therese is a rare find, combining a love of prose with a wealth of personal experiences with depression and other concerns to make for always engaging reading. So it’s no wonder she was able to bundle up that wisdom and publish her first book, Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes. If you’ve enjoyed Therese’s posts either here or on her regular blog at beliefnet.com, then yo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3149113 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:08:24 +0100 3149113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2747985&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F08%2F30%2Fthe-miracle-worker-edward-m-kennedy%2F Senator Edward Kennedy pushed for equality among the underprivileged and desired reform for America’s mental health system. He was a gift from God — it was as if God had reached down from heaven through Sen. Kennedy to influence the very pinnacle of change. Following the funeral held August 29, 2009 that immersed America in sorrow — yet also in gratitude — the torch shall remain lit and glow brighter as people work in his name to finish the efforts he began in 1962. As President Obama said at his funeral, Senator Kennedy was “a champion for those who had none [...] a kind and tender hero.” If it were not for the service of the Kennedys and for their endless dedication to equality for mental and physical disabilities, Congress would not have passed the Mental... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2747985 Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:03:56 +0100 2747985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2678683&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F08%2F07%2Fdsm-v-update-and-transparency%2F Discussion: Is the Risk Syndrome for Psychosis Risky Business?”, this describes in detail the proposal for a new disorder called “Risk Syndrome for Psychosis.” You can access the proposed criteria for the disorder, including the text discussing characteristics, associated features, differential diagnosis, etc…. So far, there are 23 comments posted, constituting a rigorous debate about the pros and cons of the proposal. Whether or not 23 comments constitutes a “rigorous debate” anywhere, I’d point out of the seven work group members featured at the top of this article, only two of them bothered to engage in this live discussion. What’s that say about their interests in engaging in actual, legitimate scholarly discussion? (On a side note, if y... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2678683 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:42:50 +0100 2678683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2517273&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F25%2Ftransparency-kupfer-and-the-dsm-v%2F Why is the new revision of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the “DSM-V”) — the reference book used to diagnose mental disorders in the U.S. — being updated in secrecy? That’s a legitimate question, and one asked by the previous head of the other modern DSM revisions (III, III-R and IV), Dr. Allen Frances in an upcoming Psychiatric Times article: The secretiveness of the DSM-V process is extremely puzzling. In my entire experience working on DSM-III, DSM-III-R, and DSM-IV, nothing ever came up that even remotely had to be hidden from anyone. There is everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose from having a totally open process… You’d have to ask Dr. David Kupfer, the head of the DSM-V revision process, or the American Psy... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2517273 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:05:02 +0100 2517273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060706&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F08%2Fis_sadness_the_same_as_depression.php This article examines the assumption that major depression is a specific illness, that it is rapidly increasing, and that a medical response is justified. I argue that major depression is not a natural entity and does not identify a homogenous group of patients. The apparent increase in major depression results from: confusing those who are ill with those who share their symptoms; the surveying of symptoms out of context; the benefits that accrue from such a diagnosis to drug companies, researchers, and clinicians; and changing social constructions around sadness and distress. Standardized medical treatment of all these individuals is neither possible nor desirable. The major depression category should be replaced by a clinical staging strategy that acknowledges the continuous distribution... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060706 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:04:24 +0100 4060706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060717&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2Fpsychiatry_weekly_updates_from_the_nimh_current_re.php Finally, researchers have gotten beyond finding the "one cause" or "sure-fire cure" for the various forms of mental illness. It has always been futile to find a particular biological cause. Clinicians practicing in the field have been aware of the complexity of development. It makes much more sense to look in several directions at once, for resilience, risk factors and biologically based vulnerabilities to particular symptom clusters. Mental illness is caused by a complicated combination of developmental and environmental stressors and biological strengths and weaknesses. Now, perhaps we can move beyond looking for the magic pill and focus on helping people. Psychiatry Weekly"There is a growing consensus in the field of psychiatry that many of the psychiatric illnesses, and almost certa... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060717 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:15:39 +0100 4060717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1420664&cid=t_366728_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F283936523%2F More than half the 28 new members of writers of the next edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) have ties to the drug industry, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s Integrity in Science Watch. The conflicts of interests were posted online by the APA last week (look here). They ranged from small to extensive. Leading the pack was William Carpenter Jr., director of Maryland Psychiatric Research Center at the University of Maryland, who over the past last five years worked as a consultant for 13 drugmakers, including Pfizer, Lilly, Wyeth, Merck, Astra Zeneca, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, according to CSPI. APA president Carolyn B. Robinowitz claimed in a statement that “we have ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1420664 Mon, 05 May 2008 13:33:33 +0100 1420664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060727&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F03%2Fpsychiatric_comorbidity_of_internet_addiction_in_c.php While still excluded from the DSM IV TR, Internet addiction has graduated to a subject worthy of research. And not surprisingly, like all other addictive behaviors, what I like to call "temporary feel goods", are associated with a lot of other diagnoses. Avoiding negative emotions has serious consequences, beyond even addictions. CNS Spectrums "Internet addiction were more likely to have MDD, dysthymic disorder, social phobia and adult ADHD than their unaffected counterparts. Adult ADHD is the most significant predictor for Internet addiction, followed by depressive disorders. Social phobia, however, was not correlated with Internet addiction in our sample after controlling for depressive disorders and adult ADHD. Further, depressive disorders and Internet addiction were associated in th... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060727 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:18:23 +0100 4060727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1126436&cid=t_366728_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F209955350%2F Most of the 27 members of an American Psychiatric Association task force that is updating the psychiatrist’s bible - the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, have financial ties to pharma, and several failed to disclose significant aspects of their relationships when the panel was announced last July, according to a recent story in US News and World Report. The APA sought to pursue the “most transparent” policy possible, after the last edition of the DSM contained newly named disorders that were seized on by drugmakers and a 2006 study showed that more than half of the researchers who worked on that manual had at least one financial tie to pharma, the mag writes. But the summaries of the disclosure statements that were recently released to the pu... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1126436 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:46:34 +0100 1126436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060800&cid=t_366728_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F09%2Fthe_new_asylums_redux.php There is news today of a new study about mental health problems in prison and jails. The information shows a much bigger problem than previously reported. MSNBC.com More than half of America's prison and jail inmates have symptoms of a mental health problem, the Justice Department estimated Wednesday. But fewer than one-third of those with problems are getting treatment behind bars. The study by the department's Bureau of Justice Statistics also found the incidence of symptoms much higher among women than men. Compared to inmates without symptoms, these mentally troubled prisoners were more likely to have been jailed before, to get into a fight behind bars, to have been physically or sexually abused in the past and to have drug problems, the bureau said. But troubled inmates were no m... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060800 Fri, 08 Sep 2006 01:33:59 +0100 4060800