Dear Editor:
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) revision process is just now getting underway with anticipated publication in 2012. The various workgroups are now being formed and should start their initial deliberations in the Fall. Given that the DSM-V revision process is only in its early stages, the diagnostic issues raised in the Hyrb, et al.'s letter have not yet been formally considered. There was, however, a DSM-V research planning conference on substance use disorders that took place in February, 2005, at the NIAAA in Rockville, Maryland, which reviewed the available research and made recommendations for future research. A summary of this conference has been posted on the DSM-V website (http://dsm5.org/conference4.cfm) and papers based on the presentations were presented in a supplement to the September, 2006, issue of the journal Addiction.
With regards,
Michael B. First, MD
Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University, Research Psychiatrist, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
