The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is one of two classification systems used by psychiatrists to help them make a diagnosis.
The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and used by doctors, researchers and insurance companies in the USA and elsewhere.
The most recently updated version of the Manual was published in May 2013 and is called DSM-5 (because it is the fifth revision). The updating of the DSM has involved experts from all over the world who have reviewed scientific knowledge and research carried out over the past two decades (the last update of DSM was published in 1994).
There is a new section in DSM-5 listing proposed new diagnoses that the APA doesn't think should be included in the Manual at this time but warrant further research. One of these potential new diagnoses is 'attenuated psychosis syndrome' (also called ‘psychosis risk syndrome’) that could be applicable to some people who are having psychotic-like experiences and are distressed by them.
This proposed new diagnosis prompted a lot of debate during the preparation of DSM-5. Some mental health professionals and researchers think such a diagnosis would be beneficial as it could help identify people who might be at risk of developing a mental illness like schizophrenia in the future, and help people get the right sort of support and treatment as soon as possible. Research has also shown that the earlier treatment starts for the symptoms of psychosis, the more successful it is likely to be.
However, other researchers have expressed concern about introducing a diagnosis for experiences that, for the majority of people, pass with time or do not cause them any problems, particularly as a diagnosis may mean people are prescribed antipsychotic medication unnecessarily.