Potentially Harmful Practices: Using the DSM With People of Color

Abstract

This article discusses the potentially harmful practice of utilizing the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as the only tool when diagnosing minority clients with a mental illness. Issues addressed include diagnosing, accuracy, cultural information, revision process, clinical judgment, training, and empirical evidence. A brief discussion of what social workers can do to enhance diagnosing is given, as well as looking at the DSM-5. Finally, a brief summary and recommendations for practitioners, schools of social work, and researchers are provided.

Keywords:

• DSM
• harmful practices
• minority mental health