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What were Dr. Allen Frances' concerns regarding the DSM 5?

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Final answer:

Dr. Allen Frances was concerned with the DSM 5's tendency to medicalize normal human problems, overdiagnose individuals, and the merging of distinct disorders like Asperger's with broader categories.

Step-by-step explanation:

Dr. Allen Frances' concerns regarding the DSM 5 focused primarily on issues of medicalizing normal behavior and the potential for overdiagnosis. He was critical of decisions such as the merging of Asperger's syndrome into the autism spectrum, which he believed could fail to capture the distinct features of Asperger's. Additionally, Dr. Frances took issue with the broadening of certain diagnostic categories, like those for depressive disorders, which he feared might include normal sadness and grief under the umbrella of mental illness. He strongly communicated that the DSM should be used as a guide, not as an infallible bible for mental health professionals, cautioning against its 'ten worst changes' that risked pathologizing everyday life experiences.

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