The DSM-5: Maybe Dr. Insel is right

In addition, companies such as 23andMe and the Parkinson’s Institute are combining their data banks to accelerate research.

The future of psychiatry, including diagnosis, will most likely continue to integrate objective data with subjective reports given by patients, parents, and teachers/providers. The DSM-5, which mainly relies on symptoms endorsed by self-reported data, will continue to be a tool to help with diagnosis and treatment, but might require revisions to include objective measures as assessment tools to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Integration of information should be the ultimate goal, not only to aid the time it takes to diagnose but also the accuracy of diagnosis – further improving the quality of the care our patients are receiving.

Dr. Heller is chief medical officer of CogCubed, a company that develops cognitive games aimed at identifying and treating executive function disorders. She also is a practicing child and adolescent psychiatrist, and adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota.