CANADIAN SAFETY REPORTER
Mental health 'bible' overhauled
DSM-5 has areas that could be 'real problem' for employers: Expert
| BY SARAH DOBSON |
mental illness," he said. "There really is
nothing else like it."
The manual is used for everything
from categorizing disorders to looking
at medication, planning treatment and
making decisions about disability and
functioning levels, said Ann Malain,
THE 'BIBLE' FOR THE psychological and
psychiatric community — the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) — has been revamped for
the first time in nearly two decades.
The new model, DSM-5, could have
wide-ranging implications for employers
in areas such as disability management,
health plans and arbitration.
Created by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the manual is
used by employers, arbitrators, insurers,
workers compensation authorities and
mental health professionals, according
to Earl Phillips, partner in the labour
and employment group at McCarthy Tétrault in Vancouver.
"The DSM has been treated as the
authoritative source for diagnosis of
"The DSM has been treated
as the authoritative source
for diagnosis
of mental illness."
vice-president of client services at Homewood Human Solutions in Toronto.
The latest version was tested in Canada and the United States and comes
closer to the model used by the World
Health Organization (WHO) in its Inter-
national Classification of Diseases, she
said — but there is always controversy.
"Any kind of change like that can
affect diagnosis, it can affect access to
health or mental health programs, it can
affect civil rights in the States, human
rights in Canada, it can determine potentially what you can prescribe for and
what you can't," she said.
"It certainly can affect, if there's jurisprudence related to the old categories
and it's not easily translated to the new,
then it can affect that. It can affect even
an academic's research, what gets funded going forward and what doesn't."
Major changes
There are several areas that could be
a real problem for employers, accordContinued on page 9
Canadian Occupational Safety, in cooperation with Acklands-Grainger and our
partners, thank you for joining us as we honour the 2013 winners
EMCEE:
Heather Hiscox, Host, CBC News: Morning
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Steve Mahoney, President, Radiation Safety Institute of Canada and former chair of
Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
GUEST SPEAKER:
The Honourable Kellie Leitch, Minister of Labour
Maureen Shaw, Advisor, B.C. Health and Safety Leadership Charter Member, Mental Health
Commission of Canada Workforce Advisory Committee
October 30th, 2013 • Arcadian Court, Toronto, Ontario
5:30-6:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception
6:45 p.m. Welcome
7:15 p.m. Dinner
8:30 p.m. Awards Program
9:30 p.m. Closing Remarks
Seating is limited • Business Attire
$1,500 for a table of eight
To speak to an Account Executive please contact us at Media.Sales@thomsonreuters.com or
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Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2013
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