Study Guide to DSM-5®

Book excerpt: The Study Guide to DSM-5® is an indispensable instructional supplement to DSM-5® to help teachers and students of psychiatry, psychology, social work, medical schools, and residency programs understand and apply diagnostic criteria and key clinical concepts through a variety of learning tools. The Study Guide can stand alone as a training supplement to DSM-5® or be paired with DSM-5® Clinical Cases as comprehensive instruction for understanding and applying DSM-5®. The Study Guide possesses a multitude of features that will benefit both learner and instructor: Foundational concepts of diagnosis are amplified with case vignettes, discussion questions, and recommended reading to enrich knowledge and practice. Content and features are consistent across the chapters for diagnostic classes. These chapters include an introduction, diagnostic pearls, summary discussion, and self-assessment questions and answers. In-depth discussions of key diagnoses within each class cover approach to the diagnosis, getting the history, diagnostic tips, clinical vignettes, and differential diagnosis. Key clinical vignettes exemplify diagnostic criteria while reflecting the complexity of real-life scenarios. In addition, examples are offered to help readers appreciate diagnostic variations and ambiguities. Discussion points and questions for self-assessment are provided for each diagnostic class throughout the guide, allowing readers to test their understanding of DSM-5® and helping teachers to focus on the most critical issues. A special section dedicated to an overview of diagnostic questions that cover material across the Study Guide and DSM-5® provides additional testing of knowledge, along with an answer key. Engagingly written, the Study Guide to DSM-5® introduces learners to DSM-5® and provides them with the tools they need to fully understand and deftly apply DSM-5® concepts and criteria.