Advancing Mental Disorder Diagnosis Through DSM-5 and RDoC Initiative

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) attempted to progress the classification and diagnosis of mental disorders in many ways, such as by giving the current identification and classification of mental illness a stronger biological basis and validation from neuroscience. One way in which DSM-5 attempted to meet this goal was through its re-clustering of diagnostic categories based on known neuroscientific similarities, such as those suggested by genetic overlap.

These changes are consistent with the goals of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), a new framework for classifying mental disorders in psychiatric research, unlike DSM, which is primarily a clinical tool. Similar to DSM-5, RDoC seeks to incorporate information ranging from basic neuroscience and genetics to self-reports, to better understand the basic dimensions underlying human behavior.

The symposium “DSM and RDoC: Moving Toward a Common Agenda for Understanding Mental Disorders” will cover important ways that DSM-5 and RDoC are highly complementary and mutually necessary for the advancement of the field of psychiatry and its patients. This session will provide audiences with a better understanding of the importance of the RDoC initiative, how changes in DSM-5 parallel RDoC, and the potential significance to clinical practice and future research of being able to bridge the two systems.

The symposium will be led by Philip S. Wang, M.D., Dr.P.H., director of APA’s Division of Research, and co-chaired by Diana Clarke, Ph.D., M.Sc., an epidemiologist and research statistician in the division. Here are the presenters and their topics:

The symposium will be held Tuesday, May 17, from 9 a.m. to noon in Room B314, Building B, Level 3, of the Georgia World Congress Center. ■