DSM: A History of Psychiatry's Bible

The DSM, or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, has evolved from a little-used pamphlet to a comprehensive compendium of mental disorder. It is a product of political conflicts, dissension, and factionalism, and reflects and shapes the professional, economic, and cultural forces associated with its use. Allan V. Horwitz's book examines how the DSM has been at the center of thinking about mental health in the US since its original publication in 1952, and argues that it persists because its diagnostic entities are closely intertwined with too many interests that benefit from them.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 232 pages
\n Publication date: 17 August 2021
\n Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
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The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past seventy years. Initially, it was a relatively unknown and seldom-used pamphlet, but it has now evolved into an imposing and comprehensive compendium of mental disorders. With nearly 300 conditions, the DSM has become the cornerstone for diagnosing patients, educating students, conducting research, reimbursing insurers, and promoting drugs. While it is often portrayed as an authoritative source of psychiatric knowledge, it is a product of intense political conflicts, dissension, and factionalism. The DSM arises from the struggles between psychiatric researchers and clinicians, different mental health professions, and various patient, familial, feminist, gay, and veteran interest groups. Fundamentally, the DSM is a social document that both reflects and shapes the professional, economic, and cultural forces associated with its use.

In his book, DSM: The Story of Psychiatry's Bible, Allan V. Horwitz delves into the historical significance of the DSM. The first book to examine its entire history, Horwitz draws on archival sources and contemporary literature to demonstrate that the DSM's history is more about the growing social importance of psychiatric diagnoses than about expanding knowledge about mental disorders. Despite attempts to replace it, Horwitz argues that the DSM persists due to its diagnostic entities being closely intertwined with numerous interests that benefit from them.

This comprehensive treatment of the DSM is intended for specialists as well as a broader audience interested in understanding the evolution of mental health care and the role of the DSM in shaping it. The book offers valuable insights into the political, social, and cultural factors that have influenced the development and maintenance of the DSM, and its impact on individuals, communities, and society as a whole.

\n Weight: 474g\n
Dimension: 160 x 236 x 24 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781421440699\n \n