title: Elimination disorders: a critical comment on DSM-5 proposals.
abstract: Elimination disorders are common in childhood and adolescence. Enuresis is defined as wetting from the age of 5 years and encopresis as soiling from 4 years onwards--after excluding organic causes. In the past few decades, many subtypes of elimination disorders have been identified with different symptoms, aetiologies and specific treatment options. The DSM-IV criteria no longer reflect this wealth of research data and a revision is needed. Classification systems of the International Children's Incontinence Society (ICCS) for enuresis and urinary incontinence and the ROME-III criteria for functional gastrointestinal disorders offer new and relevant suggestions for both clinical and research purposes. These are presented and discussed. Integration of these into DSM-5 is highly recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Saarland University Hospital, 66421 Homburg, Germany. alexander.von.gontard@uks.eu
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Gontard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D019960:Elimination Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans