[Changes to the psychiatric diagnosis protocol].

The newest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has just been published. The DSM is an essential tool for mental health professionals and clinicians to diagnose patient conditions and conduct post-diagnosis communications with patients. Further, hospitals, clinics, and insurance companies in the U.S. generally require a DSM diagnosis for all patients treated. The DSM may be used in clinical settings as well as in research settings for patient categorization purposes. Studies on specific disorders often recruit patients based on symptoms criteria listed in the DSM. However, the latest version of the DSM has generated controversy due to various issues and caused disappointment among some researchers and clinicians. In this paper, the authors conduct a comprehensive review of the development of the DSM.