Seeking Legitimacy for DSM-5: The Bereavement Exception as an Example of Failed Process.

View Abstract

In 2013 the American Psychiatric Association (APA) published the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Even before publication, DSM-5 received a torrent of criticism, most prominently over removal of the "bereavement exclusion" for the diagnosis of major depression. We argue that while the APA can claim legitimate authority for deciding scientific questions, it does not have legitimacy for resolving what is ultimately a question of ethics and public policy. We show how the "accountability for reasonableness" framework for seeking legitimacy in health policy could have been used to achieve a better resolution of the conflict than actually occurred.

Investigators
Abbreviation
AMA J Ethics
Publication Date
2017-02-01
Volume
19
Issue
2
Page Numbers
192-198
Pubmed ID
28225700
Medium
Electronic
Full Title
Seeking Legitimacy for DSM-5: The Bereavement Exception as an Example of Failed Process.
Authors
Sabin JE, Daniels N