How did anxiety disorders change from DSM-4 to DSM-5, and what was the clinical reasoning?

⚪ Clinical pearl: The single anxiety chapter from DSM-4 was split into three distinct chapters: Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, and Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders. The decision was driven by external validators that revealed key differences between the groups. Patterns of comorbidity, familial aggregation, longitudinal course, and underlying neurobiology showed that OCD, PTSD, and the classic anxiety disorders are more different than they are alike, justifying their separation and refining the diagnostic framework.

🔗 To learn more about this pearl, check out the Carlat Article: https://www.thecarlatreport.com/articles/2037-anxiety-disorders-in-dsm-5-and-beyond