Original Paper

The DSM-IV-TR 'Glossary of Technical Terms': A Reappraisal
A.A. Howsepian

University of California, San Francisco, Fresno Medical Education Program, VACCHCS, Department of Psychiatry, Fresno, Calif., USA

Address of Corresponding Author

Psychopathology 2008;41:28-34 (DOI: 10.1159/000109952)

  Key Words

• Glossary, DSM-IV-TR
• Technical terminology
• Problematic definitions

  Abstract

Many of the entries in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition - Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) are problematic along multiple axes, including, but not limited to, clarity, logical coherence, factual content, redundancy, and ambiguity. These problems pose multiple barriers to clear, efficient, and accurate communication among those who work in clinical contexts or among those involved in psychological or psychiatric research. These barriers to communication, accurate concept formation, and clinical clarity affect diagnostic validity and reliability in a manner that imperils progress in psychiatry and psychology on a grand scale. This essay focuses on some of the most egregious problematic entries in the DSM-IV-TR's 'Glossary of Technical Terms'. It is meant to be a prolegomenon to a thorough revision of the Glossary in preparation for the projected 5th edition of the DSM.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

A.A. Howsepian, MD, PhD
University of California, San Francisco, Fresno Medical Education Program, VACCHCS
Department of Psychiatry, 2615 E. Clinton Avenue
Fresno, CA 93703 (USA)
Tel. +1 559 225 6100, ext. 15468, Fax +1 559 228 6910

  Article Information

Received: June 30, 2006
Accepted after revision: June 27, 2007
Published online: October 18, 2007
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 8