At this time, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has no plans to add compulsive shopping to the list of mental disorders in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), due for publication in 2010. In addition, APA is not altering the current edition, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), to include compulsive shopping as a disorder.
The DSM is the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals and provides clear, objective descriptions of mental illnesses, based upon scientific research. It has evolved into a carefully constructed, numerical index of mental illnesses grouped by categories and sub-categories
Darrel A. Regier, M.D., M.P.H., Director, American Psychiatric Association's Division of Research who coordinates development of the DSM states, "at this time there are no plans or processes set up to add compulsive shopping to the list of mental disorders in the next edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders."
The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society, founded in 1844, whose 35,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses including substance use disorders. For more information, visit the APA Web site at http://www.psych.org.