Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

Pronunciation: dī′ag-nos′tic stă-tis′ti-kăl man′yū-ăl men′tăl dis-or′dĕrz

Definition: A system of classification, published by the American Psychiatric Association, which divides recognized mental disorders into clearly defined categories based on sets of objective criteria. Representing a majority view (rather than a consensus) of hundreds of contributors and consultants, DSM is widely recognized as a diagnostic standard and widely used for reporting, coding, and statistical purposes.

Search Stedman's Medical Dictionary