Preprint / Version 1

Limitations to the DSM-5

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  • Willa Li Polygence

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.4268

Keywords:

DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), Psychiatric Diagnosis, Diagnostic Reliability and Validity

Abstract

Accurate psychiatric diagnosis is essential for effective treatment among patients; the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is intended to provide a standardized framework for identifying mental disorders. While the DSM-5 has served as a gold standard for diagnosis of mental disorders, there remain notable limitations in the reliability and validity of its diagnostic value. Some concerns include that the diagnostic checklist structure of the DSM often produces overlapping clinical profiles, fails to account for cultural context of symptom presentation, and relies on rigid categorical classifications that do not reflect symptom severity or progression within individuals. 

References

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Posted

2026-10-15

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