Obsessive-compulsive disorders in DSM-5 – what is new?

Abstract

Obsessive-compulsive disorders are a frequent and debilitating condition also in children and adolescents. The present paper summarizes the changes in the DSM diagnostic criteria between the IV-TR edition and the DSM-5 edition, and evaluates them critically. A central feature is the revision of the category to which these disorders belong: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders are no longer considered to be anxiety disorders, but rather now comprise an independent category encompassing a broader spectrum of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Minor changes have been made to the description of the criteria, and there is a new emphasis on the clinical assessment of the patient’s insight level (good, poor, absent). Obsessive-compulsive disorders associated with tic disorders are classified as a separate subtype. The present paper discusses these changes on the basis of the available studies and literature, and then looks ahead to the implementation of the new criteria in the everyday clinical setting and in research.