Understanding Sexual, Paraphilic, and Gender Dysphoria Disorders in DSM-5

Abstract

With every Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders that has been published, there has been controversy within controversy; however, what appears to be lacking is the importance of truly understanding what, why, and how the changes impact the community at large. Issues such as homosexuality, the five axial diagnostic system, and transitioning from a medical model to a biopsychosocial model have been hot topics that have led clinicians to challenge the reliability and validity of the manual throughout history. As clinicians and medical professionals, it is important to objectively look at the manual and become educated on how and why these changes exist. With that being said, this commentary aims to challenge the article “Commentary: Problems with the Sexual Disorders Sections of DSM-5” by Colin A. Ross (2015). The structure of this commentary purposefully mirrors the structure of the commentary that it is challenging.

KEYWORDS:

• DSM-5
• gender dysphoria
• paraphilia
• sexual dysfunction
• sexual orientation

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer DeFeo

Jennifer DeFeo, PhD, is the interim associate chair in the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Irvine, California. She received her master’s degree in clinical psychology (marriage and family therapy focus) from Antioch University in Santa Barbara, California and her PhD from Alliant International University in San Diego, California. She is a distinguished professor of psychology and is noted as one of the leading training experts of the DSM-5 and ICD-10 systems, both national and international. She is also presently working with the Mexican and Argentinian board of professions on incorporating DSM-5 into their national practice. She is a licensed psychologist in the state of California, where she specializes in working with the severely mentally ill, LGBT, gangs, HIV/AIDS, at-risk youth, anxiety, and depressive populations. Dr. DeFeo is a senior reviewer and editor for the Journal of Psychiatry and the Journal of Hispanic Higher Education as well as the Southern California chair of the Colleague Awareness of Resources and Education (CARE) program for the California Psychological Association.