What happened to polysubstance in DSM5?

DSM-5

Mar 26

Hello Dr. Carter,

I attended your workshop on the DSM-5. First of all, thank you for an excellent, informative and engaging workshop. I had asked about coding for a patient who would have been diagnosed with Polysubstance dependence in the DSM-IV-TR. It wasn't clear to me if I was expected to catalog all of the substances that were abused or if I should use the "Other" category and specify multiple substances.

Thank you for inviting me to follow up with you on this matter.

Hi,

Yes. That's my understanding of how to diagnose it. In DSM-IV you could indicate polysubstance when a client had no preference for a particular thing. Apparently, that's not how most people used it. They saw "poly" and thought that it meant more than one.

In DSM-5 you are encouraged to investigate and document each individual substance of abuse.

- See more at: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/apa2013/experts-discuss-changes-updates-dsm-5#sthash.cQiHlJff.dpuf

Dr. Carter

DSM5

Dr. Ken Carter

Dr. Kenneth Carter received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1993 and in 2007 finished a postdoctoral masters in clinical psychopharmacology from Farleigh Dickenson University. Before joining the faculty at Emory University, Dr. Carter served as a Senior Assistant Research Scientist in the Epidemic Intelligence Service of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where he researched smoking as a risk marker for suicidal behaviors in adolescents. Currently he is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Oxford College of Emory University where he is actively involved in research and teaching. Dr. Carter has been a psychotherapist and researcher for over 17 years and his work has garnered awards from the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and the University of Michigan. In addition to research, Dr. Carter’s is actively engaged in translating research in psychology to everyday language. He has appeared in magazines such as mental_floss and Readers Digest, and well as in news programs such as Connect With Kids and NBC’s Today Show.

What happened to polysubstance in DSM5?

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