In a recent publication in World Psychiatry, Columbia-based authors Dr. Geoffrey M. Reed and Dr. Michael B. First invited experts in the field to share more about the history, evidence, and controversies around four new disorders that have been added to the ICD-11 (complex PTSD, prolonged grief disorder, gaming disorder, and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder).
In general, new diagnostic categories are proposed and added to classification systems primarily for three reasons: 1) To ensure that clinical conditions are accurately reported and collected in public health data; 2) To help identify clinically important mental disorders so that appropriate, specialized care can be accessed and provided; 3) To stimulate research on effective treatments for these conditions. By introducing new diagnostic categories into the ICD-11, standardized definitions for various conditions are now available for use in diagnostic processes, treatment selection, research studies, and public health data collection systems around the world.
A total of 21 new diagnoses have been added to the ICD-11, but these four diagnoses have generated particular interest and attention in recent years. To learn more about these four new diagnoses, check out our series of featured posts across our social media platforms from June 6 to June 13, 2022 (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn).
To download the full publication in World Psychiatry, click here.