Definition:
DSM stands for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association. It is used in the United States as a system to classify, describe and diagnosis mental disorders. The DSM has undergone five updates since its first publication in the early 1950s. In 1994, the fourth update, the DSM-IV, was published. A “text revision” was added to the DSM-IV in 2000, making the most current publication the “DSM-IV-TR.” The DSM-V is currently in the works and is scheduled for publication in 2012.
