There are many DSM-IV disorders, which are biologically/genetically linked, and thus DSM-IV criteria for these disorders are valid and linked to treatment outcomes (e.g., schizophrenia, dementia, depression). The DSM is generally centered around standards of a Western middle-class white male. In different cultures, standards and values can be very different. These differences in culture could create an issue where one does not exist based on different cultural norms. Although accommodations have been attempted to be made, the nature of the DSM will always place emphasis on cultural factors.
The DSM doesn’t take factors into account like a person’s past, personality, and as previously mentioned, culture. In both of these cases, someone could be diagnosed where an issue does not exist, while someone could miss a diagnosis. If relying too heavily on the DSM “qualifications” instead of the experiences and thoughts of the patient, someone could miss a diagnosis.
The key strengths of the psychiatric classification system are: helps professionals communicate understanding about specific individuals, sometimes gives patients an answer to what they have been dealing with. They may feel relieved their problems are linked to a disorder and/or know that others suffer from similar symptoms.
The DSM “The Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” gives clinicians and psychiatrists a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders. This manual published by the American Psychiatric association, is non-theoretical and focuses mostly on describing symptoms, statistics concerning which gender is most affected, typical age of onset, as well as the effects of treatments. The DSM is universally known for the use of diagnosing mental illness.