Describe four of the five key purposes of classification systems such as the DSM-5. Illustrate at least two of the purposes you describe using concrete examples.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Four of the following five purposes should be described. Examples will vary but should resemble those provided below. Only two examples are required because the information is fairly abstract, and students may not be familiar with many disorders at this point.
1. Nomenclature—Giving a name to a disorder gives professionals a way to describe their clients. For example, the label schizophrenia offers a convenient way to discuss a cluster of behaviors including hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking.
2. Information retrieval—Classifying disorders allows nonprofessionals to search for information regarding disorders. For example, a parent or teacher can Google the term attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
3. Descriptive system—A disorder’s name summarizes the symptoms and signs of the disorder. For example, the term bipolar disorder suggests moods that cycle from one extreme to the other.
4. Predictive system—A classification system helps one to know the course of the disorder and the types of treatments that might be effective. For example, a diagnosis of depression is associated with a particular time course, a variety of medications, and therapeutic techniques based on the cognitive-behavioral perspective.
5. Basis of theory—Classification systems offer a way to begin understanding a disorder. For example, the discussion of obsessive compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder alongside anxiety disorders suggests that these disorders share common mechanisms.