An Assessment of the Compatibility of DSM-IV and Proposed DSM-5 Criteria in the Diagnosis of Cannabis Use Disorders

The current study used an automated version of the Substance Use Disorder Diagnostic Schedule-IV (SUDDS-IV) to assess DSM-IV (fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and two sets of proposed DSM-5 (fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) cannabis use disorder criteria among adult prison inmates in the Minnesota Department of Corrections state prison system from 2000 to 2003. Initially proposed DSM-5 criteria had only two diagnostic designations (moderate and severe). A subsequent revision added a mild designation and required a greater number of positive findings for the severe diagnosis. The sample was composed of 7,672 (89.6% male) inmates. Inmates with no DSM-IV diagnoses and most who currently received a cannabis dependence diagnosis according to the DSM-IV guidelines will fit into corresponding DSM-5 categories (i.e., no diagnosis and severe cannabis use disorder, respectively). Some diagnostic criteria, in addition to those proposed for the DSM-5, emerged as cardinal indicators of moderate cannabis use disorder. The study's limitations are noted.