For the last six decades the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders fifth edition dsm v and its predecessors have served to standardize the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders for clinical practice and research a brief history of the dsm the development and innovations of the latest edition limitations of the classification system and directions for future revisions are discussed in this entry. Manual of mental disorders fifth edition dsm 5 cardwell c nuckols phd cnuckolselitecorp1com wwwcnuckolscom history of the dsm o 1840 1 dx us census idiocy insanity also in the 1840s southern alienists discovered a malady called drapetomania the inexplicable mad longing of a slave for freedom o 1880 7 dxs us census mania mostly as defined . The fifth edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders dsm 5 is targeted for publication in may 2013 older adults and their families should be aware of the potential impact that changes in this important document may have on diagnosis and treatment of mental health concerns. The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders fifth edition is the most comprehensive current and critical resource for clinical practice available to todays mental health clinicians and researchers of all orientations the information contained in the manual is also valuable to other physicians and health professionals including psychologists counselors nurses and occupational and rehabilitation therapists as well as social workers and forensic and legal specialists