2008/08/01 by Christopher S. Martin, Tammy Chung, James W. Langenbucher · 2 citations
Psychology · Medicine · #Personality Disorders and Psychopathology #Mental Health Research Topics #Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
paper · doi:10.1037/0021-843x.117.3.561
openalex publication_date 2008/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
This article reviews literature on the validity and performance characteristics of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders (SUDs) and recommends changes in these criteria that should be considered for the next edition of the DSM (DSM-V). Substantial data indicate that DSM-IV substance abuse and substance dependence are not distinct categories and that SUD criteria are best modeled as reflecting a unidimensional continuum of substance-problem severity. The conceptually and empirically problematic substance abuse diagnosis should be abandoned in the DSM-V, with substance dependence defined by a single set of criteria. Data also indicate that various individual SUD criteria should be revised, dropped, or considered for inclusion in the DSM-V. The DSM-V should provide a framework that allows the integration of categorical and dimensional approaches to diagnosis. Important areas for further research are noted.