Michael B. First, MD

December 11, 2017

Advances in digital publishing that allow instantaneous dissemination of changes at minimal cost have paved the way towards the adoption of a continuous improvement model for DSM, in which revisions are pegged to specific scientific advances.

October 12, 2017

Several updates to ICD-10-CM affect the diagnostic codes used by mental health practitioners. One important update involves the codes for substance use disorders. Details here.

July 03, 2017

Got a challenging case-a patient for whom the diagnosis is unclear or uncertain? Want a diagnostic opinion? This is a call for cases. Michael First, MD-a nationally recognized expert on psychiatric diagnosis and assessment issues-will review details and offer insights on select cases.

August 10, 2015

The good news? Compared with our non-psychiatric colleagues, we psychiatrists are in very good shape when it comes to switching over to ICD-10-CM.

May 21, 2015

Given that one of the primary goals of making DSM revisions is to improve its clinical utility, establishing a baseline of current usage is critical to inform future proposals. For this and other reasons, the authors provide preliminary results from research focused on determining clinicians’ actual use of DSM.

September 02, 2014

A proper psychiatric diagnosis requires the ability to elicit information, identify symptoms, and recognize behavioral patterns. Dr Michael First, author of DSM-5 Handbook of Differential Diagnosis, summarizes key points in this brief video.

May 01, 2014

A video featuring the author of the DSM-5 Handbook, Dr Michael First describes differential diagnosis and assessment, central components of clinical practice.

July 16, 2010

Dr Muller, in his piece “Psychiatric Symptoms Can be Understood Even When These Symptoms Cannot Be Explained,” makes a number of assertions about DSM-III and its successors that reflect a mischaracterization of its “descriptive approach.”

November 01, 2008

DSM-IV-TR, our current diagnostic classification system of psychiatric disorders, follows the diagnostic paradigm first established by DSM-III in 1980.

April 01, 2003

The DSM may be flawed, but it is the best available system for organizing and diagnosing mental disorders, and it remains a model for other medical specialties.