Podcast: DSM-5-TR Revisions with DSM Co-Chair Dr. Michael B. First
Updated: Mar 5, 2022
Background
The DSM-5-TR is coming out on March 18, 2022 (according Amazon's release date). Dr. Michael B. First, DSM-5-TR co-chair, was featured on a podcast discussing the newest revisions.
Where to Listen
Visit Therapy Reimagined for their 45-minute interview with Dr. First.
Where to Read the Transcript
Visit Therapy Reimagined for a line-by-line autogenerated transcript of the interview with Dr. First. (Scroll to the bottom of the page.)
Why We Think You Should Be Concerned
This text revision of the DSM-5 brings unprecedented criteria changes for many established mental health disorders. Some changes are minor and some appear to be quite helpful such as bringing back unspecified mood disorder, which was previously eliminated from DSM-5.
However, other conditions, e.g., autism spectrum disorder, are presented with major alterations that seek to restrict the criteria and make it much harder to receive a diagnosis. Dr. First explicitly states in his interview that this is because the current prevalence rate for autism is too high.
These changes do not appear to be aligned with current research, especially on female and nonbinary populations. These changes seek to limit access to care and further disenfranchise us from receiving adequate care and treatment.
What You Can Do About It
(1) Talk about it. Keep talking. Ad nauseam. Don't be afraid to make people tired of hearing about the marginalization of neurodivergent people (or any marginalized group), especially when a behemoth clinical resource like the DSM is putting lives on the line.
(2) Present your clinicians with current research studies. (Repository of useful resources coming soon on this website).
(3) Join us on our mission to create a more equitable world for neurodivergent people.
Stay tuned for an update when we've got the publication in hand.
#autism #ASD #DSM #diagnosis #equity #accessibility #inclusion