DSM-5 Reform Efforts by the Society for Humanistic Psychology

Abstract

Since 2011, the Society for Humanistic Psychology (Division 32 of the American Psychological Association) has taken a lead in organizing an international coalition of organizations and individuals that share major criticisms of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth edition (DSM-5) diagnosis and the search for alternatives. Inspired by the British Psychological Society’s public criticism of the DSM-5, Society for Humanistic Psychology began by drafting an Open Letter that outlines criticisms of the DSM-5. The Open Letter went on to receive endorsements from over 50 national and international organizations, and was signed by over 15,000 individuals, primarily mental health professionals. The effort to reform the DSM-5 shifted gears in 2013, when the Society’s efforts began to pivot toward efforts to organize discussions about legitimate alternatives to medical model, DSM diagnoses of human suffering. The culmination of this project was the Global Summit on Diagnostic Alternatives, which persists in several fronts to provide guidelines for the development of diagnostic manuals, and to promote scientifically and ethically sound approaches to understanding and alleviating human suffering.