Are psychiatric patients likely to benefit from DSM-5?

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis plays a central role in medicine. If the validity of a diagnosis is in doubt, there will be doubt with regard to the existence of illness, the legitimacy of illness-behavior in the patient and the necessity of medical treatment. In this paper we discuss the changes made in DSM-5, testing whether they will contribute to a better position of our patients and of psychiatry.AIM: Critical appraisal of the changes made in DSM-5 and their potential impact on the position of our patients and of psychiatry.METHOD: Critical discussion.RESULTS: DSM-5 has seen improvements in a series of essential areas, which will indeed benefit our patients. However, the most fundamental problems inherent in a system that aims to classify symptoms, disregarding their etiology, have not been solved.CONCLUSION: Given our infrastructure, we are well positioned to further develop and standardise appropriate medical specialty psychiatric diagnosis. This is more fruitful than ongoing criticism of DSM.