A year after the latest and most controversial edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was released, a majority of clinicians have yet to incorporate the DSM-5 into their practice.
A Medscape survey of more than 6,000 medical professionals, including nurses, pediatricians, internists, psychiatrists and others. found only 45% were using it to diagnose and classify psychiatric disorders. The largest numbers are among psychiatrists and psychologists; 59% and 60% respectively.
Half of the surveyed pediatricians have adopted the DSM-5. And a significant percentage (44%) of primary care providers have as well. Among nursing professionals, only 21% have incorporated it.
Despite some doubts about the improved accuracy of DSM-5 over its predecessors — the result of several years of controversy over nearly every aspect of the revision process, from the secrecy of the proceedings to the role played by drug companies — users were mostly satisfied with the latest edition. Only 27% reported some level of dissatisfaction with the DSM-5.