Home » Mental Disorder Symptoms » American Psychiatric Association and DSM-IV Codes The American Psychiatric Association and DSM-IV Codes is one of the milestones in the process of classifications of mental disorders. The DSM stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM IV has been designed in such a way that it helps the doctors to treat the patients with utmost care and expertise. It consists of diagnostic classification, criteria sets and a text giving descriptions. The DSM IV codes have been formulated by the American Psychiatric Association and the main objective of the codes is to help the researchers to deal with various aspects of mental disorders.

The three important elements of the American Psychiatric Association and DSM-IV Codes are:

Diagnostic Classification: It provides a list of the metal illnesses experienced by the people around the world. These disorders are enlisted in the book of codes of the DSM IV. The codes that are used to indicate a particular mental illness is such that is used extensively by the mental health hospitals.

Diagnostic Criteria: this portion of the DSM IV codes consists of all the symptoms related to the particular mental disorder. In short it enlists the criteria that should be fulfilled for a particular illness to occur. This part also gives a list of all the symptoms that should not be there as an indication of a particular metal disorder. These are only guidelines, which help the medical practitioners to treat their patients in a better way.

Descriptive Texts: This is what goes along with each and every disorder and gives a detailed description of that particular disorder.

The DSM-IV Codes have five branches in which it categorizes all types of disorders, which are the following:

• Axis I: Mental Disorders except those related to Personality disorder and retardation in mental health.
• Axis II: Medical Condition related to only mental disorders
• Axis II: Mental Retardation and disorders affecting Personality
• Axis IV: Mental problems related to the environment and psychology
• Axis V: This is based on evaluating the reasons of mental disorder on a more global basis like job factors.

A revision of the DSM codes was published in the year 2000, which was known as DSM –IV-TR. This version retained the originality and also added some aspects, which were necessary for evaluation in the coming years. The American Psychiatric Association and DSM-IV Codes have made relevant progress in the field of research, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders and personality disorders. After the 2000 edition the next in line is the 2010 edition of the DSM-IV codes, which will surely be of great help to the doctors and clinical researchers in the field of mental health and disorders related to mental health.

For more information about mental health, mental disorder, mental retardation, Mental Disorder Treatment and many other facts related to mental health browse through the pages of sitagita.