Psychiatry's Integration with Medicine: The Role of DSM-5

Mental disorders represent a significant global burden whose effects are exacerbated by gaps in diagnosis and service provision. A substantial number of individuals seek services not through specialty psychiatric clinics but through primary care. Thus, the interface between psychiatry and the rest of medicine represents an appropriate area of focus in which to improve the detection and treatment of mental disorders. Development of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) can play a key role in this process. DSM-5 is expected to include specific revisions in diagnostic criteria, chapter organization, text structure, and classification approach that are designed to improve use of DSM by nonpsychiatrist physicians. Furthermore, revisions to DSM-5 will inform development of the primary care version of DSM-5. The goal is to publish a manual that enhances clinical utility in a manner that is concise and more amenable to use in primary care.