Essay Sample on Classifying Mental Disorders: 2000 Years of Evolution

Introduction

There has been a great need for the classification of mental disorders in medical history. It is only in the recent past that there was little consensus on the type of disorders to be instituted in the optimal tool of their organization. Classification of mental disorders has been made over the past 2000 years, although there have been differences in the emphasis on etiology, phenomenology, and the course as defining elements. Some of the classification systems only include several diagnostic categories, while others include thousands. The method for grouping mental disorders has, however, differed in line with if their primary objective was intended for research, clinical or administrative settings.

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Since there is an extensive history of the grouping of the mental disorders, the essay will thus only focus on the different aspects that have contributed directly to the development of a diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. The article will look at the significant changes and differences that have shaped the diagnostic and statistical manual mental disorders. The significant differences that can be noted between the previous and the current diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders include the following;

New Diagnoses

Some of the considerable differences in the last diagnostic and statistical mental diseases to the present are the introduction of new diagnoses. It is an essential change or difference since this will go to benefit people that are living with the disorders. On the hand, such changes can also translate to unwanted labeling of misdiagnosis and mental illness (Bovin et al., 2016)

Some of the new diagnoses include the following:

Hoarding disorder - It was known that individuals who had this kind of disorder compulsively had to make a diagnosis of OCD. But now that the disorder is separate, it may translate to various changes in the means to which it was treated and further leads to other people getting the treatment they require.

Binge Eating Disorder - In the past, it was referred to as the eating disorder, although there has been some overlap that involves symptoms including anorexia nervosa and also bulimia nervosa. People that have this kind of eating disorder can't participate in any activity that would lead to compensation of their binges. They can't take part in activities such as taking laxatives, purging excessive food, and exercising to the extreme.

Excoriation disorder - it involves the compulsive picking of the skin, and it has been often referred to as the "dermatillomania." In the past it was referred to as an "impulsive control disorder," and presently it will be listed under the "Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders" of the books of DMS-5.

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder - This type of disorder is among the most controversial additions in the present diagnostic and statistical mental diseases. Proponents of the addition argue that it will yield fewer children having misdiagnosed with disorders like Bipolar Disorder. Some of the symptoms of the disease include frequent tantrums and irritable and persistent mood. Those opposed to this change argue that it might lead to some children wrongly labeled as being mentally ill.

Other notable differences between the previous and the current diagnostic and statistical mental disorders are in the revised diagnoses of mental disorders; they include the following:

Autism Spectrum Disorder - The current system will first combine all four diseases that have been named separately; they include autistic disorder, pervasive development disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Asperger's syndrome. It is considered that these types of changes in the diagnostic and statistical mental disorders system will impact the individuals currently diagnosed with any of the four disorders (Armour, C., Mullerova, J., & Elhai, J. D. 2016).

Substance Use Disorder - This type of disorder was previously categorized into two separate disorders that are, Substance Dependence and Substance Abuse. Another significant change is in the Removal of Bereavement Exclusion; it is revised since grief usually is triggered by depression. Other primary changes were made on posttraumatic spectrum disorder were made primarily to change on the diagnostic clusters and also on the impact of the disorder in children. Pedophilia disorder formerly categorized as pedophilia will only have a change in its name, and no alterations have been made on its criteria of diagnosis.

Other significant changes include the ones made on Specific Learning Disorder: the current diagnosis will be applied in place of the disorders named as separate under the category of Learning Disorders which include mathematics disorder, reading disorder, a disorder of written expression and learning disorder. These developments have been made since the history of diagnostic and statistical mental disorders have made it possible for other known and unknown disorders to be included in the diagnostic and statistical bracket of disorders. These aspects have shaped the system, and so many other differences and changes will be noted in later studies and research 9Cooper, R. 2018).

Other difference includes the removal of a multiaxial assessment system. The previous method will now be replaced with a more straightforward and will be categorized into three instead of five as it was with the last diagnostic and statistical mental disorders system. Other significant difference from the previous system to the present one is on the structure of the chapters. The changes named above are majorly for clinicians who apply the manual mode in their operation.

References

Armour, C., Mullerova, J., & Elhai, J. D. (2016). A systematic literature review of PTSD's latent structure in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV to DSM-5. Clinical Psychology Review, 44, 60-74.

Bovin, M. J., Marx, B. P., Weathers, F. W., Gallagher, M. W., Rodriguez, P., Schnurr, P. P., & Keane, T. M. (2016). Psychometric properties of the PTSD checklist for diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-fifth edition (PCL-5) in veterans. Psychological Assessment, 28(11), 1379.

Cooper, R. (2018). Diagnosing the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Routledge.