Why is the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders so hard to revise?:path-dependence and “lock-in” in classification

Cooper, Rachel (2015) Why is the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders so hard to revise?:path-dependence and “lock-in” in classification. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 51. pp. 1-10. ISSN 1369-8486

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Abstract

The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the D.S.M.-5, was published in May 2013. In the lead up to publication, radical changes to the classification were anticipated; there was widespread dissatisfaction with the previous edition and it was accepted that a “paradigm shift” was required. In the end, however, and despite huge efforts at revision, the published D.S.M.-5 differs very little from its predecessor. This paper considers why it is that revising the D.S.M. has become so difficult. The D.S.M. is such an important classification that this question is worth asking in its own right. The case of the D.S.M. can also serve as a study for considering stasis in classification more broadly; why and how can classifications become resistant to change? I suggest that classifications like the D.S.M. can be thought of as forming part of the infrastructure of science, and have much in common with material infrastructure. In particular, as with material technologies, it is possible for “path dependent” development to cause a sub-optimal classification to become “locked in” and hard to replace.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Additional Information:
This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 51, 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.03.001
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700
Subjects:
?? D.S.M.DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERSPATH DEPENDENCELOCK-INPERSONALITY DISORDERSASPERGER’S DISORDERHISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCEHISTORYMEDICINE(ALL) ??
ID Code:
73882
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
18 Jun 2015 05:55
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
27 Oct 2023 23:51