Psychiatrists Redefine Disorders Including Autism

[xchrom]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-02/psychiatrists-redefine-disorders-including-autism.html

Psychiatry’s main professional group has voted to redefine how some mental disorders are diagnosed, including autism, in a manual used by doctors to treat patients and by insurers to determine payments.

The move comes after a 7-year debate that has split the mental health community over whether the changes will spur over- diagnosis of some disorders, and limit treatment for others. The guide collapses several conditions into a broadened definition for autism. It also adds new maladies, including one called disruptive mood dysregulation disorder for children who have temper tantrums at least three times a week.

The vote yesterday by the American Psychiatric Association was alternately called “a disaster” by Allen Frances, who led work on the previous version, and a “conservative document” by David Kupfer, who led the panel that presented the latest edition. The guide is scheduled to be released in May at the psychiatric group’s annual meeting.

“I think we’ve improved our diagnostics, but this is not written in stone,” Kupfer said in a telephone interview after the vote. The committee that produced the new edition will monitor how the changes play out, he said.

[hedgehog]

1. Are temper tantrums nature or nuture, or somewhere in between?

Do people who have temper tantrums grow up to have "Anger issues"?