What Is the Function of Each Axis of DSM-IV-TR

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The Answer is The DSM-IV-TR, which stands for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, was published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders. The DSM-IV-TR utilized a multi-axial system for assessment, which included five different axes, each describing a different aspect of a patient's mental health condition. Here is the function of each axis:

Axis I: Clinical Disorders
This axis described the primary diagnosis of clinical disorders, which included most mental disorders, except for personality disorders and mental retardation. Examples of Axis I disorders are depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, and eating disorders. This was the main focus of the diagnosis and the primary reason for the individual's treatment.

Axis II: Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation
Axis II covered long-standing personality disorders and intellectual disabilities (formerly referred to as mental retardation). Personality disorders are characterized by enduring, inflexible, and pervasive patterns of behavior and inner experience that deviate from cultural expectations. Examples include borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Intellectual disabilities were also diagnosed on this axis.

Axis III: General Medical Conditions
This axis was used to list any physical or medical conditions that might be relevant to understanding or treating an individual's mental disorder. For example, a medical condition like hypothyroidism could lead to depressive symptoms, or a brain injury could affect cognitive function and behavior.

Axis IV: Psychosocial and Environmental Problems
Axis IV captured the psychosocial and environmental factors that might affect the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of mental disorders. These could include issues like unemployment, divorce, legal problems, or homelessness. This axis helped clinicians consider the context of the individual's life when planning treatment.

Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF)
The fifth axis provided a numerical scale (ranging from 0 to 100) to rate the individual's overall psychological, social, and occupational functioning. A higher score indicated a higher level of functioning. The GAF score helped clinicians understand how the individual's condition affected their daily life and could be used to track changes in functioning over time.

The DSM-IV-TR's multi-axial system was designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of an individual's mental health by considering a wide range of information. However, this system was removed in the subsequent edition, the DSM-5, which was published in 2013. The DSM-5 moved to a non-axial documentation of diagnosis (formerly Axes I, II, and III), combined with separate notations for important psychosocial and contextual factors (formerly Axis IV), and disability (formerly Axis V).

What Is the Function of Each Axis of DSM-IV-TR

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