Extract below. Read online: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/28/health/dsm-psychiatry-changes
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How a person will be diagnosed with mental illness could look significantly different in the near future.
The American Psychiatric Association announced Wednesday that it is radically reconceptualizing the main manual that clinicians use to make a mental health diagnosis. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will likely get a new name, new voices shaping its content and a new approach that will add more layers to a diagnosis.
The hope is that it will turn what some call “psychiatry’s bible” into more of a guidebook to mental health disorders — one that’s more inclusive, dynamic and educational, so patients will receive more effective treatments.
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HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org