DSM-IIIThe third edition of theDiagnostic and
Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders,publishedin
- TheDSM-IIIintroduced revolutionary
changes in the diagnostic system, including
explicit, etiologically neutral diagnostic criteria and
a multiaxial system of diagnosis.
DSM-IV-TRThe current edition of theDiag-
nostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders,
published in 2000.
environmental stressIn the diathesis-stress
model of psychopathology, a stressor (e.g., biolo-
gical, psychological) that acts together with a
diathesis to produce a given mental disorder.
etiological factorsCausal factors.
etiological models of psychopathology
Causal models of abnormal behavior and
mental illness that also have implications for
assessment and treatment. Major etiological
models of psychopathology include the bio-
logical, psychodynamic, learning, and cognitive
models.
Global Assessment of FunctioningThe score
provided on Axis V that serves as an index of the
person’s overall level of functioning.
mental disorderA syndrome (cluster of abnor-
mal behaviors) occurring within an individual that
is associated with distress, disability, or increased
risk of problems.
mental illnessA large class of frequently observed
syndromes that comprise certain abnormal beha-
viors or features.
multiaxial assessmentThe evaluation of patients
along multiple domains of information. TheDSM-
IV-TRcalls for diagnosis along five separate axes,
each of which aids in treatment planning and the
prediction of outcome.
principal diagnosisThe diagnosis that is
chiefly responsible for a person’s distress or
disability and should be considered the focus of
treatment.
psychopathologistA scientist who studies the
causes of mental disorders as well as the factors that
influence their development.
reliabilityIn the context of diagnostic classifica-
tion, the consistency of diagnostic judgments
across raters.
sex biasIn the context of diagnostic classifica-
tion, sex bias would be demonstrated if the same
cluster of behaviors resulted in a diagnosis for
members of one sex but not for the other.
Although the current diagnostic criteria are not
biased in and of themselves, clinicians may be
biased in the way they apply these diagnoses to
males and females.
structured diagnostic interviewsAclassof
interviews that assesses for the specific criteria
appearing in the diagnostic manual.
subjective distressOneofthethreemajor
definitions of abnormal behavior, this definition
labels as psychologically abnormal those people
with a poor sense of well-being and/or a high level
of subjective distress.
syndromeA group of symptoms that tend to
occur together.
validityIn the context of diagnostic classification,
the extent to which diagnoses correlate with
meaningful variables such as etiology, prognosis,
and treatment outcome.WEB SITES OF INTEREST
To visit any of the following Web sites, go to
http://www.wadsworth.com and click Links.
5-1Mental Health America
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/
5-2National Alliance on Mental Illness
http://www.nami.org/
5-3Mental Health Advocacy Coalition
http://www.mentalhealthadvocacy.org/DIAGNOSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS 157