DSMIII

DSM-III, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, published in 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association, was a major revision of DSM-II designed to address inconsistencies in psychiatric diagnoses and to provide more reliable criteria for clinical and research use. It introduced several innovations intended to standardize diagnoses and expand the scope of recognized disorders. Foremost was the adoption of explicit, symptom-based diagnostic criteria and a polythetic approach, in which a diagnosis could be made if a patient met a threshold number of criteria from a defined list. The manual also moved toward an atheoretical framework, focusing on observable criteria rather than underlying theories of causation.

A defining feature was the multi-axial system for assessment. Axis I covered clinical disorders, Axis II encompassed personality disorders and mental retardation, Axis III listed general medical conditions, Axis IV captured psychosocial and environmental problems, and Axis V provided a Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) rating.

DSM-III broadened the range of recognized conditions and included notable changes, such as the formal definition of post-traumatic stress disorder and the removal of homosexuality as a mental disorder. The edition reinforced diagnostic reliability and strongly influenced clinical practice and research, and underpinned later revisions, including DSM-III-R and the DSM-IV. It also helped standardize psychiatric diagnosis in the United States and in many other countries, though it faced criticism for potential overdiagnosis, cultural biases, and questions about validity.