Strengths and Weaknesses of the DSM-5

Psychopathology and Diagnosis for Social Work Practice

Video Role-Play: Strengths and Weaknesses of the DSM-5

Submit a 3- to 5-minute video, considering the parents as your audience, in which you do the following:

•             Briefly describe what the DSM-5 is and how it is organized. In your description, define the concepts of spectrum and dimensionality as explained by Paris and in the DSM-5 introduction.

•             Explain why social workers and mental health professionals use diagnoses and what receiving a diagnosis means (and does not mean).

•             Explain general concerns about the risks of overdiagnosis and misdiagnosis versus not diagnosing. Also explain how diagnosis is connected to services.

•             Explain other details that might help your audience understand the strengths and weaknesses of the diagnostic system.

•             Provide a response to the following parental questions:

o My teenager’s best friend died by suicide this year. It’s been months, and she doesn’t seem over it. Her teachers tell me she should get help for depression, but I think it’s just grief. She talks about her friend all the time and gets very upset. I am worried about her. Is it normal for her to still be feeling this way? I don’t want to put her on medication for normal feelings. What is the difference between grief and depression?

Include a transcript and/or edit closed captioning on your video to ensure your presentation is accessible to viewers of differing abilities.