Citation

Hayempour BJ, Newberg A. J. Neurol. Disord. 2013; 1(2).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, The author(s), Publisher OMICS Publishing Group)

DOI

10.4172/2329-6895.1000122

PMID

23946936

Abstract

Misunderstood, and often feared, the most severe mental illnesses affect some 5 million American adults, and nearly 50% of Americans have been mentally ill at some point in their lives. While more than a quarter of the American population has suffered from mental illness in the past 12 months, their families undergo an extraneous emotional and financial burden. Clinicians and researchers follow the definitions and diagnostic guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. According to the DSM, mental disorders are behaviors or psychological syndromes which cause significant distress or interfere with a person's ability to function during their everyday life. Yet, this diagnostic tool falls short. This article highlights how the diagnostic manual does not provide physicians with the appropriate guidelines by which they can diagnose mentally-ill patients.

Language: en