Remember that you are demonstrating your knowledge and academic skills in these discussions. That means
you are to ALWAYS include psychological content in your responses, explain all course terms, and use formal
academic writing skills. Your scores will reflect your ability to meet these criteria.
In your response, consider the following questions/concerns/issues regarding the DSM (Note, that you you do
not have to answer every question). These can be launching points for a critical thinking exercise in the
pros/cons or risks/benefits of the DSM classification system.
In what way do clients benefit from formal diagnoses? That is, what aspects of assigning a DSM diagnosis may
prove beneficial? What aspects may prove unfavorable? Does the DSM pathologize normal behavior?
Consider examples from the text where this may be true (e.g., premenstrual dysphoric disorder, minor
depressive disorder) and discuss the pros and cons of having these diagnoses in the system.