[Skip to Navigation]
Comment & Response
November 2016

Changes to the Definition of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the DSM-5—Reply

Author Affiliations
  • 1National Center for PTSD, US Department of Veterans Affairs, White River Junction, Vermont
  • 2Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire
  • 3Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
JAMA Psychiatry. 2016;73(11):1203. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.2401

In Reply In his letter, Guina acknowledges many positive aspects of the DSM-5, while reiterating concerns about the potential impact of these revisions. We completely agree that functional impairment and dysfunction are critically important, that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is best understood as a dimensional as well as a categorical construct,1 and that a primary goal of any diagnosis should be to identify individuals with significant distress or functional impairment who can benefit from treatment and other services. However, we take exception to other parts of his letter.

Add or change institution
×