Article
Understanding DSM: A Critical Commentary on Descriptive Diagnosis, Disease Validity, and Clinical Utility
2026-08-03
Abstract excerpt
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is often criticized as a collection of descriptive labels rather than a classification of established diseases. This commentary argues that the criticism is largely correct, but that the word “merely” understates the clinical value of psychiatric diagnosis. Most DSM categories lack unique etiologies, pathognomonic biomarkers, or clear boundaries separ...
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Identifiers and source
- Literature Corpus work
- 4abec426-c88e-5be3-8d5b-060c43b8add2
- DOI
- 10.20944/preprints202608.0042.v1