The Disclosed DSM-5: What impact will it have on Forensic Psychiatry?

Abstract

Introduction: On 10 February 2010, the American Psychiatric Association published an online draft of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which, like the previous editions, after having received several comments and contributions, was subject during the next following years, to the technical and scientific scrutiny, and, of course, susceptible to modification leading to a final improved version.
Material and Methods: This article aims to analyze the changes proposed by this new review, investigate whether these have implications in the field of Forensic Psychiatry and discuss the implications identified.
Discussion: In this perspective, the object of analysis are issues related to the classification and structuring of nosological entities, with special focus on personality disorders, substance abuse disorders, sexual and gender identity disorders, anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders, psychotic disorders and also disorders suggested by external sources.
Conclusion: the main changes proposed are essentially about diagnostic criteria, which, for some of nosological entities, may hinder the outcome of the expert assessment, while for others there could be otherwise, since the introduction of new models closer to reality appears to offer greater objectivity and diagnostic rigor.