A critique of the DSM-5 field trials.
This article provides an overview and critique of the field trials for the current revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). The purpose of the DSM-5 field trials was to evaluate the use, feasibility, safety, reliability, and validity of the DSM-5 proposals. In this article, the procedures for evaluating these properties of the DSM-5 are reviewed, and several concerns-such as delays, disorganization, missed deadlines, field trial cancellations, lack of adequate validity testing, and high clinician attrition rates-and their likely impact on the field trial results are presented.
Mental Health Counseling Program, Department of Educational and Human Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816-1250, USA. daylejones@ucf.edu
K Dayle
KD
Jones
D000328:Adult; D026683:Advisory Committees; D015982:Bias; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States