DSM conceptualization of Mental Disorder:

DSM-IV (1994) and DSM-IV-TR (2000)

"In DSM-IV, each of the mental disorders is conceptualized as a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with present distress (e.g., a painful symptom) or disability (i.e., impairment in one or more important areas of functioning) or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom." (DSM-IV-TR, 2000, p. xxxi)

clinically significant

syndrome/pattern

occurs in an individual

not expectable & culturally sanctioned response to a particular event

conflicts between individual and society are not mental disorders, unless the deviance or conflict is a symptom of a dysfunction in the individual

classified disorders that people have, not people

DSM 5 (2013)

"A mental disorder is a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually associated with significant distress or disability in social, occupational, or other important activities. An expectable or culturally approved response to a common stressor or loss, such as the death of a loved one, is not a mental disorder. Socially deviant behavior (e.g., political, religious, or sexual) and conflicts that are primarily between the individual and society are not mental disorders unless the deviance or conflict results from a dysfunction in the individual, as described above." (DSM 5, 2013, p. 20)

syndrome

clinically significant

in an individual's

usually assocaited with significant distress or disability

social, occupational, or other important activities

expectable or culturally approved response to a common stresor or loss . . . . is not a mental disorder

socially deviant behavior/conflicts with society are not a mental disorder, unless

caution about legal judgments, eligibility for disability, competency