The DSM, or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is basically the Holy Bible of psychiatry. It contains all the diagnoses which are considered scientifically valid at this time, and the criteria for making such diagnoses. But there's a problem. The panelists for the DSM-IV, the fourth edition of this manual, were the ones who decided which diagnoses were made (during the "reign" of the DSM-IV, before the DSM-V came out), and by which criteria. This would be fine, except that it has been demonstrated that many of these panelists are financially tied to pharmaceutical companies and, as such, have a vested interest in the sales of pharmaceuticals. This conflict of interest is of concern, as it could lead to distorted criteria for diagnosis, leaving mentally healthy people to be treated with drugs they don't need, and mentally ill people to be treated with the incorrect medication or combination of medications.
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