Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Essay Example

Diagnosis based on a DSM conveys a good deal of descriptive information concerning behavioral deficit, deviance or excesses in the person diagnosed with a given mental condition (APA, 2013). The Diagnosis and Statistical Manual (DSM) has great significance for counselors when selecting psychological assessments and tests tools. The names and description of various mental disorders as contained in the DSM enable counselors to understand particular behavioral conditions in the client, which guides in the selection of proper measurement tool (Cohen, Sturman & Swerdlik, 2013).

This has the potential of helping counselors to understand mental conditions and design or select a proper tool. With proper understanding of particular behaviors with reference to particular mental disorders as documented in DSM, the counselor is able to know the correct form of test or testing tool and measurement criteria for the identified condition. A DSM also covers biological conditions and relating the conditions to particular mental disorders. This works to enable counselors quickly understand and conduct easy isolation of causes of particular behavioral problems to ensure proper if not accurate diagnosis (Cohen, Sturman & Swerdlik, 2013).

With proper isolation of the behaviors, a DSM allows counselors to think of possible tools and strategies to tackle mental cases. The DSM-IV-TR has the ability to enable counselors to understand behavioral conditions that have no relationship to any mental disorder. Subsequently, the DSM-IV-TR gives counselors clue of handling conditions that have relation to mental disorders (APA, 2013). The clues provided assists in the proper identification of psychological test and assessment tools and criteria to use for a related condition.