<p>I have not come up with a definitive answer myself as there is a wide range of figures online.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/post/The_DSM-IV_lists_approximately_297_disorders_How_many_disorders_are_listed_in_the_DSM-5" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Michael Noll-Hussong states on ResearchGate</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The total number of specific diagnoses was reduced from 172 in DSM-IV to 157 in DSM-5.
  see, e.g., McCarron RM. The DSM-5 and the art of medicine: certainly uncertain. Annals of internal medicine. 2013;159(5):360-1.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I have recently managed to access this referenced article (<a href="http://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-159-7-201310010-00688" rel="nofollow noreferrer">DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-159-7-201310010-00688</a>) and it states</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The number of psychiatric disorders decreased from 172 (DSM-IV) to 152 (DSM-5). (This does not include disorders that are “Not otherwise specified” or “Other specified/unspecified.”)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/17/dsm-5-unveiled-changes-disorders-_n_3290212.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Huffington Post states that there are over 300 in DSM-5</a></p>

<p>Because of discrepancies in the information available I have seen, I have therefore, painstakingly gone through my copy of DSM-5 and pages 877—896 provide a</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Numerical Listing of DSM-5 Diagnoses and Codes (ICD-10-CM)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>ICD-10 codes are provided for cross-referencing, and I have counted <strong>roughly 742</strong> of them by saying that a full page has 45 and there are 20 pages with some listings taking more than 1 line.  The problem with the approximate figure of 742 is that in the list are items such as obesity which are not mental disorders.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2017-06-20T16:46:32.993Z
2018-05-16T06:37:15.580Z
2018-05-16T06:37:15.580Z
Chris Rogers
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mental_disorders" rel="nofollow">This Wikipedia page</a> says:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the American Psychiatric Association's standard reference for psychiatry <strong>which includes over 450 different definitions</strong> of mental disorders.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>However, I haven't been able to find this information on any credible (government or academic) websites.</p>

<p>Is there a more credible source for determining the number of diagnosable mental disorders in the DSM?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-08T18:51:35.407Z
It is important to be mindful that mental disorders are just categories we place around phenomena that are often continuous with each other. As such, there is no right answer to your general question. As for the number of categories used in the DSM, you could just go to your local university library and take a look. From the table of content (that you can find a link to on [this site](https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/dsm-5)) it looks like there is at least 240 sections for disorders. I am not sure if many of those sections contain more than one category or not.
Artem Kaznatcheev
<cognitive-psychology><abnormal-psychology><terminology><psychiatry><psychology>
How many diagnosable mental disorders are included in the DSM?
Nate
# How many diagnosable mental disorders are included in the DSM?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-06)

[This Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mental_disorders) says:

> The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the American Psychiatric Association's standard reference for psychiatry **which includes over 450 different definitions** of mental disorders.

However, I haven't been able to find this information on any credible (government or academic) websites.

Is there a more credible source for determining the number of diagnosable mental disorders in the DSM?

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, abnormal-psychology, terminology, psychiatry, psychology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It is important to be mindful that mental disorders are just categories we place around phenomena that are often continuous with each other. As such, there is no right answer to your general question. As for the number of categories used in the DSM, you could just go to your local university library and take a look. From the table of content (that you can find a link to on [this site](https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/dsm-5)) it looks like there is at least 240 sections for disorders. I am not sure if many of those sections contain more than one category or not.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-06-20. Score: 4

I have not come up with a definitive answer myself as there is a wide range of figures online.

[Michael Noll-Hussong states on ResearchGate](https://www.researchgate.net/post/The_DSM-IV_lists_approximately_297_disorders_How_many_disorders_are_listed_in_the_DSM-5)

> The total number of specific diagnoses was reduced from 172 in DSM-IV to 157 in DSM-5.
> see, e.g., McCarron RM. The DSM-5 and the art of medicine: certainly uncertain. Annals of internal medicine. 2013;159(5):360-1.

I have recently managed to access this referenced article ([DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-159-7-201310010-00688](http://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-159-7-201310010-00688)) and it states

> The number of psychiatric disorders decreased from 172 (DSM-IV) to 152 (DSM-5). (This does not include disorders that are “Not otherwise specified” or “Other specified/unspecified.”)

The [Huffington Post states that there are over 300 in DSM-5](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/17/dsm-5-unveiled-changes-disorders-_n_3290212.html)

Because of discrepancies in the information available I have seen, I have therefore, painstakingly gone through my copy of DSM-5 and pages 877—896 provide a

> Numerical Listing of DSM-5 Diagnoses and Codes (ICD-10-CM)

ICD-10 codes are provided for cross-referencing, and I have counted **roughly 742** of them by saying that a full page has 45 and there are 20 pages with some listings taking more than 1 line. The problem with the approximate figure of 742 is that in the list are items such as obesity which are not mental disorders.


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