Schizophrenia The upcoming h edion of the Diagnosc and Stascal Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-5) makes several key changes to the category of schizophrenia and highlights for future study an area that could be crical for early detecon of this oen debilitang condion. Changes to the Diagnosis Schizophrenia is characterized by delusions, hallucinaons, disorganized speech and behavior, and other symptoms that cause social or occupaonal dysfuncon. For a diagnosis, symptoms must have been present for six months and include at least one month of acve symptoms. DSM-5 raises the symptom thresh old, requiring that an individual exhibit at least two of the specied symptoms. (In the manual’s previous edions, that threshold was one.) Addionally, the diagnosc criteria no longer idenfy subtypes. Subtypes had been dened by the predominant symptom at the me of evaluaon. But these were not helpful to clinicians because paents’ symptoms oen changed from one subtype to another and presented overlapping subtype symptoms, which blurred disnc - ons among the ve subtypes and decreased their validity. Some of the subtypes are now speciers to help provide further detail in diagnosis. For example, catatonia (marked by motor immobility and stupor) will be used as a specier for schizophrenia and other psychoc condions such as schizoaec- ve disorder. This specier can also be used in other disorder areas such as bipolar disorders and major depressive disorder. Area for Further StudyAenuated psychosis syndrome is included in Secon III of the new manual; condions listed there require further research before their consideraon as formal disorders. This potenal category would idenfy a person who does not have a full-blown psychoc disorder but exhibits minor versions of relevant symptoms. Idenfying individuals with an increased risk for developing a psychoc disorder is signicant for eecve early intervenon, but more study is needed to ensure that aenuated psycho - sis syndrome can be reliably diagnosed. Addional research will result in new informaon and data that can guide future edions of DSM to improve diagnosis and care. DSM is the manual used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders. The American Psychiatric Associaon (APA) will publish DSM-5 in 2013, culminang a 14-year revision process. For more informaon, go to www. DSM5.org. APA is a naonal medical specialty society whose more than 36,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treat - ment, prevenon and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at www.psychiatry.organd www.healthyminds.org.
