Scientific, historical and social context of DSM

The aim of this chapter is to support infonned, critical engagement with the DSM by reviewing the manual's foundations, strengths and limitations. The chapter is structured in seven parts, We commence commencing with an overview of the DSM project (in Section 2). Section 3 describes the scientific and conceptual context in which DSM sits, and draws a distinction between the project and the science which it draws upon. Histories of the project are summarized in Section 4, which emphasise also highlights a discontinuity between the manual's second and third editions, with the 'modern DSM' (DSM-III, DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, DSM-IV-TR) exhibiting a more positivist and biomedical stance., as reviewed in Section 4. Section 5 describes features of the current DSM-IV-TR, arguing emphasising that the text is a complex endpoint of pragmatic and scientific influencesprocesses. In Section 6, the strengths of the DSM project are assessed, and two contrasting views on the current manual's validity are considered. An important part of encouraging engagement with DSM is to acknowledge the domains it that it undoubtedly minimises or obscures, as considered in Section 7. Finally, implications of the preceding discussions for clinical psychologymental health practice are considered (Section 8). It is concluded that, by understanding its complex nature, mental health practitioners can maximise benefits and minimise costs of using this significant tool