The History of the DSM

By emmahogarth

  • First attempt to record information about mental health in US

    The US Census of 1840 recorded the frequency of "idiocy/insanity".

  • Seven categories of mental health established

    Mania, melancholia, monomania, paresis, dementia, dipsomania, and epilepsy were established by the Census.

  • First DSM published

    This was the first official collection of mental disorders with a focus on clinical use.

  • ICD-6 published

  • Work on DSM III began

    Introduced explicit diagnostic criteria, a multiaxial diagnostic assessment system, and an attempted neutral approach to the causes of mental disorders

  • ICD-9 published

  • DSM III published

  • DSM-III-R published

    This included corrections to inconsistencies in the system and instances in which the diagnostic criteria were not clear.

  • ICD-10 published

  • DSM-IV published

    Many changes were made over six years to classification, diagnostic criteria sets, and to the descriptive text.

  • DSM-5 begins development

    Established new research and gaps in current research with hopes that more would be done in these areas.

  • DSM-5 published

  • DSM-5-TR begins development

    Made necessary clarifications to certain diagnostic criteria, which was approved by the DSM Steering Committee.

  • DSM-5-TR published