Plans for Future Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, DSM-6, Unveiled at⁢ APA Meeting

⁢ Updated June 03, 2025

Los angeles—The American Psychiatric ⁣Association (APA) offered a first look at⁢ exploratory plans for a new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) ⁢ at its annual meeting.While not yet calling it DSM-6, the APA is gathering feedback to ⁣improve the manual.

Dr. Maria Oquendo, chair of the future DSM Strategic Committee, emphasized the importance of ⁤openness and public input.⁢ The committee aims to address criticisms‍ and incorporate evolving ⁣knowledge⁣ into⁤ the psychiatry nosology.

Four subcommittees are currently working on key areas: social determinants, quality of life and ‍functioning,⁣ biomarkers, and overall structure. These groups are evaluating how ⁣these factors can⁣ provide ⁣valuable insight into the patient’s outlook and treatment progress ⁤toward patient-centered ⁤recovery goals. The goal is⁣ to ⁢integrate critical feedback on the DSM and work towards including classification models, measurements, and advances in neuroscience.

The‍ last fully new DSM was ⁤DSM-5,published in 2013,wiht a ⁢text revision released in 2022. ⁢The APA aims to harmonize the⁣ new ‍iteration with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as much as possible.

Karen Drexler, chair of the quality ⁤of life subcommittee, noted the importance of considering individual, family,‍ community, and⁣ clinician perspectives. The ‍social determinants ⁢subcommittee is assessing the impact of factors like ⁣ethno-racial⁤ background, gender, income, ⁢and living circumstances on ⁤mental health. The Biomarkers subcommittee is exploring the use of wearable devices to bridge the gap between psychiatry and neuroscience.

Dost Öngür, chair of the structure subcommittee, said the current manual faces criticism for being overly specific and to vague. He introduced a preliminary concept involving four “boxes” for clinicians⁢ to fill out, potentially ⁤including contextual, biological, diagnostic, and transdiagnostic⁣ features.

Nitin Gogtay, session chair, acknowledged the ⁢need to balance the frequency of updates with the pace of scientific advancements.

Another session explored⁣ the possible inclusion of four suicide-related conditions as distinct diagnoses: suicidal ⁤behavior disorder,nonsuicidal⁢ self-injury disorder,suicide crisis syndrome,and acute ⁤suicidal ⁤affective disturbance. currently,suicidality is included ⁣only as ⁢a symptom of other conditions.

Edward A. Selby emphasized the importance of‍ establishing suicide risk assessment and intervention competency across⁢ disciplines.

Michael Myers‍ supports the inclusion⁤ of suicide-related⁢ conditions, ‍noting that it has been in growth for at⁤ least 10 ⁢years.

“There are people who are ⁣DSM⁣ fans ⁢and some who kind of hate it. So‍ we have made it a point to talk to people and ask⁤ how we can fix it because we⁣ are all ears. ⁣If there are ‍things we can do better, we definitely want to know,” Oquendo⁢ said.

“we need to be pragmatic. ⁢We ⁤can’t just ⁢start over because that has implications for ⁢people who are getting treatment today and whether their insurance is going to cover it. These types of practical considerations are essential,” Oquendo said.

What’s next

The subcommittees will continue gathering data ⁤and feedback to refine their proposals for the next iteration of the DSM. The target publication date is approximately four years⁢ from now.