Question

In the DSM-5, which statement is NOT true about the ordering of diagnoses?

a) The ordering of diagnoses is unimportant
b) The DSM-5 uses a single-axis approach
c) Diagnoses are ranked based on severity
d) All diagnoses are considered equal

Answer 1

The DSM-5 uses a single-axis approach for the ordering of diagnoses, which are not considered equal but instead are ranked based on severity, safety, and treatment priority. The statement that the ordering of diagnoses is unimportant is not true.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the DSM-5, the statement that is NOT true about the ordering of diagnoses is: a) The ordering of diagnoses is unimportant. The DSM-5 indeed considers the ordering of diagnoses to be important as diagnoses are not considered to be of equal importance. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), which replaced the previously used multi-axial system of the DSM-IV with a b) single-axis approach, allows clinicians to list all diagnoses relevant to the patient at hand.

Diagnoses are typically ranked according to c) severity, safety concerns, acuity, or significance in regard to the reason for the encounter. This helps in prioritizing treatment and in communicating the clinical picture of the individual. The DSM-5 does not state that d) all diagnoses are considered equal; rather, it encourages clinicians to assess and list the diagnoses appropriately contingent on individual client circumstances.