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While the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is thought to be of use primarily to psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) is hoping to change that with the release of a consumer guide to the classification and diagnostic tool.
On April 28, the APA will release Understanding Mental Disorders: Your Guide to the DSM-5, which is touted as the “first of its kind to give readers an easy-to-understand, comprehensive and medically accurate guide on mental disorders and how to get help in treating them.”
The book will list symptoms for common mental disorders, as well as risk factors and warning signs, ways to cope, treatment options, ways to get help, and a glossary that will include a list of common psychiatric medications and support groups.
The book “translates information from ‘DSM-5’ into simple language that can empower those who need mental health care to understand disorders and seek help,” APA President-Elect Renee Binder, MD, said in a statement. “It educates in a way that allows patients to take an active role in their care.”
The publication will also include case studies involving psychiatric illnesses. The APA has already released some of those studies online in advance of the book’s publication.
