Do Mental Disorders Really Exist?

Abstract

"Mental disorders are defined using operational criteria. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) issued by the American Psychiatric Association provides a concrete example of this process. It enables clinicians to communicate both with each other and with clients and serves as a very useful means of defining the target of clinical research. As an example of the criteria operationalised by the DSM, the following slides show you the diagnostic criteria for depression. Depression is called ―Major Depressive Episode‖ in the DSM-IV [1]."