liminfoDSM-5 Reference
Free reference guide: DSM-5 Reference
About DSM-5 Reference
The DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria Reference provides a searchable guide to 25 major psychiatric disorders organized across 14 diagnostic categories. It covers depressive disorders (F32 Major Depressive Disorder with 9 criteria, F33 Recurrent), bipolar disorders (F31 Bipolar I with manic episode criteria), anxiety disorders (F41.1 GAD, F40.10 Social Anxiety, F41.0 Panic Disorder), OCD (F42), and trauma-related disorders (F43.10 PTSD, F43.0 Acute Stress Disorder).
Neurodevelopmental disorders include F84.0 Autism Spectrum Disorder (social communication deficits + restricted/repetitive behaviors with 3 severity levels) and F90.x ADHD (inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined presentations). The reference also covers schizophrenia spectrum (F20.x), personality disorders (F60.3 Borderline, F60.2 Antisocial), eating disorders (F50.0x Anorexia Nervosa), substance use disorders (F10-F19), dissociative disorders, somatic symptom disorders, and sleep disorders.
Additional sections explain the DSM-5 elimination of the multiaxial system, ICD-10/ICD-11 code correspondence, severity specifiers (mild, moderate, severe, in remission), and differential diagnosis principles including ruling out substance effects, medical conditions, and comorbidity assessment.
Key Features
- Major Depressive Disorder (F32/F33) diagnostic criteria with severity codes and remission specifiers
- Bipolar I (F31) manic episode criteria and GAD/Social Anxiety/Panic Disorder anxiety spectrum
- PTSD (F43.10) intrusion, avoidance, cognitive/mood, and arousal criteria with dissociative subtype
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (F84.0) social communication and restricted behavior domains with 3 severity levels
- ADHD (F90.x) inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined presentation criteria
- Schizophrenia (F20.x), Borderline (F60.3), and Antisocial (F60.2) personality disorder criteria
- Substance use disorder severity grading (mild 2-3, moderate 4-5, severe 6+ criteria)
- ICD-10/ICD-11 code mapping, multiaxial system changes, severity specifiers, and differential diagnosis principles
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the DSM-5 criteria for Major Depressive Disorder?
MDD (F32) requires 5 or more symptoms over at least 2 weeks: depressed mood, diminished interest/pleasure, weight/appetite change, insomnia/hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation/retardation, fatigue, worthlessness/guilt, concentration difficulty, and recurrent thoughts of death. Severity codes are F32.0 (mild), F32.1 (moderate), F32.2 (severe).
How is PTSD diagnosed in DSM-5?
PTSD (F43.10) requires trauma exposure plus symptoms lasting over 1 month across 4 clusters: B (intrusion - 1+ symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares), C (avoidance - 1+ symptom), D (negative cognition/mood changes - 2+ symptoms), and E (arousal/reactivity changes - 2+ symptoms). Specifiers include dissociative subtype and delayed expression (6+ months).
What distinguishes Autism Spectrum Disorder severity levels?
ASD (F84.0) has three severity levels based on support needs: Level 1 (requiring support - difficulty initiating social interactions), Level 2 (requiring substantial support - marked deficits, limited social initiation), and Level 3 (requiring very substantial support - severe deficits, minimal social response). Both social communication and restricted behavior domains are rated.
How is ADHD classified in DSM-5?
ADHD requires 6+ symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity for 6+ months, with onset before age 12. Three presentations exist: F90.0 (predominantly inattentive), F90.1 (predominantly hyperactive-impulsive), and F90.2 (combined). Inattention symptoms include careless mistakes, difficulty sustaining attention, not listening, and organizational difficulties.
What are the Bipolar I manic episode criteria?
A manic episode (F31) requires 1+ week of abnormally elevated/expansive mood plus 3+ symptoms: inflated self-esteem, decreased sleep need, pressured speech, flight of ideas, distractibility, increased goal-directed activity, and excessive pleasurable activities with high risk. Must cause marked functional impairment or require hospitalization.
How does DSM-5 define Borderline Personality Disorder?
BPD (F60.3) requires 5+ of 9 criteria: frantic abandonment avoidance, unstable intense relationships, identity disturbance, impulsivity (2+ areas), recurrent suicidal behavior/self-harm, affective instability, chronic emptiness, inappropriate anger, and transient paranoid ideation/dissociative symptoms.
What changed from DSM-IV to DSM-5?
DSM-5 eliminated the multiaxial system (Axis I-V), replacing it with non-axial recording of disorders plus Z-codes for psychosocial factors. GAF scores were replaced by WHODAS 2.0 for functional assessment. Autism subtypes were merged into a single Autism Spectrum Disorder, and the bereavement exclusion for MDD was removed.
How does substance use disorder severity work in DSM-5?
Substance Use Disorder (F10-F19) uses 11 criteria assessed over 12 months, including impaired control (4 criteria), social impairment (3 criteria), risky use (2 criteria), and pharmacological indicators (tolerance, withdrawal). Severity is graded as mild (2-3 criteria), moderate (4-5), or severe (6+).