After years of controversy , the latest version of the `` psychiatric bible '' -- the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -- has been released . The DSM-5 ( fifth edition ) 's introduction , over the weekend at the American Psychiatric Association 's annual meeting , marks `` the end of more than a decade 's journey in revising the criteria for the diagnosis and classification of mental disorders , '' the association says on the DSM-5 website . The manual includes the criteria used by mental health professionals to diagnose patients . It 's also used by insurance companies , schools and other agencies responsible for covering and creating special provisions for individuals with developmental or mental disorders . The overhaul -- the first for the DSM since 1994 -- has not come without opposition from activists , some grass-roots organizations and even the National Institute of Mental Health , which last month said it was launching a project aimed at laying the foundation for a new classification system and would be `` re-orienting its research away from DSM categories . '' Are we over-diagnosing mental illness ? Here are five ways the DSM changes may affect you : . Bereavement or depression ? Previously , clinicians were advised against diagnosing major depression in people within two months after the death of a loved one : the `` bereavement exclusion . '' The DSM-5 removes the exclusion , a move the psychiatric association says `` helps prevent major depression from being overlooked and facilitates the possibility of appropriate treatment including therapy or other interventions . '' Research has shown that for some people , the death of a loved one can precipitate major depression -- much like other stressors such as losing a job , the association says on the DSM-5 website . But `` bereavement is the only life event and stressor specifically excluded from a diagnoses of major depression '' in previous manuals . Binge eating is officially an eating disorder . Binge eating was approved as its own category of eating disorder in the DSM-5 . It 's defined as `` recurring episodes of eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would eat under similar circumstances , with episodes marked by feelings of lack of control . '' According to the association , the move is aimed at `` increasing awareness of the substantial differences between binge eating disorder and the common phenomenon of overeating . While overeating is a challenge for many Americans , recurrent binge eating is much less common , far more severe , and is associated with significant physical and psychological problems . '' Binge drinkers may be diagnosed as mild alcoholics . The revised DSM collapses the medical distinction between problem drinking and alcoholism . Some experts say this could lead college binge drinkers , for example , to be mislabeled as alcoholics , a diagnosis that may follow them into adulthood . Prior DSM editions included `` alcohol abuse , '' along with the more serious `` dependence . '' However , the DSM-5 will make `` alcohol use disorder '' a single condition . `` The field of substance abuse and addiction has witnessed an explosion in important research in the past two decades , '' said Dr. David Kupfer , chairman of the DSM-5 Task Force , in a February statement . The changes `` reflect the best science in the field and provide new clarity in how to diagnose these disorders . '' Asperger 's syndrome becomes autism spectrum disorder . The proposal to group Asperger 's and other developmental conditions together generated a flurry of comments and concerns . In 2010 , when the change was proposed , the Asperger 's Association of New England , a nonprofit organization with more than 3,000 members , wrote a letter to the American Psychiatric Association emphasizing that Asperger 's should remain separate . But `` the revised diagnosis represents a new , more accurate , and medically and scientifically useful way of diagnosing individuals with autism-related disorders , '' the national group says on the DSM-5 website . The work group that recommended the change `` believes a single umbrella disorder will improve the diagnoses of ASD without limiting the sensitivity of the criteria , or substantially changing the number of children being diagnosed . '' In a statement on its website Tuesday , the New England association assures its members , `` regardless of your diagnosis or label , we will continue to provide a gathering place where members of the Asperger 's community can connect to one another . '' Doctor : Why we 're making changes to autism diagnosis . Being transgender no longer a mental disorder . The DSM-5 eliminates the term `` gender identity disorder , '' which mental health specialists , along with lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender activists , had considered stigmatizing . It refers to `` gender dysphoria , '' which focuses attention only on those who feel distressed by their gender identity . `` I think it 's a significant change , '' Jack Drescher , a member of the psychiatric association group that recommended the change , said late last year . `` It 's clinically defensible , but it reduces the amount of stigma and harm that existed before . '' Homosexuality was removed from the DSM in 1973 , a move he believes changed global views . Some LGBT activists applauded the change , while others have questioned whether it goes far enough .
The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual was released over the weekend . The `` psychiatric bible '' overhaul has not been without controversy . Autism , binge eating and drinking and grief will all see changes in the new manual .