Relational database of the DSMs?

August 13, 2022 8:13 AM

I would like to see a Venn diagram of symptoms and diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Has anyone created something like that?

There have been many versions of the DSM over the years and I would love to see the entries from all versions in a user-friendly relational database from which one could create Venn diagrams and other charts showing overlaps, analogies, relationships, changes, contradictions etc. Has someone done this?

posted by ponibrown to Technology (3 answers total)

Response by poster: I have posted some dud questions over the years, but this is the first with zero answers. Really? None of you beautiful, brilliant Ask MetaFilter folks has anything to say about a user-friendly database of the DSMs? Anyone want to create one? We would need to scan all versions of the DSM (dust off Google's old scanners for their sadly defunct books project?), use the best free OCR technology we can find, and pull the entries into a tidy database. We would make it free to use for anyone who needs it for themselves, their loved ones, their patients or their clients.
posted by ponibrown at 4:35 AM on August 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

The DSM is a copyrighted work by the APA.

Types of uses that are not granted:

• Use of material in applications for mobile devices such as iPad, iPod, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and any other devices
• Use of DSM material in self-diagnosis
• Use of DSM trademark
• Reproduction of American Psychiatric Association and American Psychiatric Publishing logos
• Reproduction of entire DSM content in another publication or product

I think this just wouldn't be allowed. The DSM is supposed to be a tool, not just a set of content. I'm not going to go all-in on its accuracy or in claiming that it achieves its purpose, but something like what you're suggesting would really be undoing what its purpose is supposed to be.
posted by lapis at 9:27 PM on August 16, 2022

Best answer: Maybe something like this is a start?

https://twitter.com/miriforbes/status/1537391032932831233?s=21&t=D-Y96M7pgBGnoyHI37haEQ
posted by MrBobinski at 7:15 PM on September 12, 2022 [1 favorite]