The American Psychiatric Association has announced that it has put back the publication of the forthcoming ‘DSM 5’ revision of the influential diagnostic manual of mental disorders back one year to May 2013.
The press release, available online as a pdf, notes:
“Extending the timeline will allow more time for public review, field trials and revisions,” said APA President Alan Schatzberg, M.D. “The APA is committed to developing a manual that is based on the best science available and useful to clinicians and researchers.”
Which could equally well be code for ‘owing to the recent shitstorm over our behind-closed-doors policy and strident criticism from past committee members about the scientific quality of our review process, we’ve decided we need a bit of breathing space’.
As long as the time is genuinely used to get a better scientific footing for the project it could be genuinely beneficial, although to be fair, it’s hardly likely that any new revision of the controversial manual will be greeted with universal approval.
pdf of APA press release on DSM 5 delay (via @DrDavidBallard).
Mind Hacks 