Using Field Trials to Evaluate Proposed Changes in DSM Diagnostic Criteria

Many people have contributed to the success of the DSM-IV field trials. The support of the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has made it possible for us to complete this third stage of the DSM-IV empirical process with an unprecedented thoroughness. The field trials have also been strengthened by voluntary participation from unfunded sites both in the United States and abroad. The efforts of field trial project directors, site coordinators, and data analysts working at the 88 sites have ensured the high quality of the data on which decisions about DSM-IV have been made and have allowed us to anticipate the impact of these decisions in clinical and research settings.

A comprehensive record of the DSM-IV field trials will be detailed in the fifth volume of the DSM-IV Sourcebook, available in late 1994.