From DSM-IV to DSM-5: an interim report from a cultural psychiatry perspective

In July 2012, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) closed its final commenting period on draft criteria for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), slated for publication in May 2013. DSM-5 raises familiar questions about the cultural assumptions of proposed diagnoses, the scientific evidence base of these criteria and their validity in international settings. I review these issues since the publication of DSM-IV. I assess the cultural validity of DSM-5 and suggest areas of improvement.