Which Mental Health Conditions Were Axis I Disorders?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDSM-IV Axial SystemAxis I DisordersChanges to PTSDOther Axis CategoriesSeeking Help

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

DSM-IV Axial System

Axis I Disorders

Changes to PTSD

Other Axis Categories

Seeking Help

Close

While the most current version of theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)is the fifth edition, the previous version (DSM-IV) used an axial system to categorize mental health disorders. Within that system, Axis I disorders included “mental health and substance use disorders.”

Learn more about this change and which mental health conditions fell into the category of Axis I disorders under the DSM-IV. Even though this axial system no longer exists, it helps give insight into the direction that psychiatric diagnosis is taking over time.

Under the DSM-IV, allpsychiatric disordersand other mental health issues were organized into five different categories or axes. These five classifications helped mental health professionals give patients a proper diagnosis based on their symptoms and other factors related to their mental health.

Insurance companies also use diagnoses made with DSM criteria to determine whether the patient’s mental health treatment is covered under their current healthcare policy.

The five axes withinthe DSM-IV’s multi-axial systemwere:

The DSM-5 debuted in 2013 and adopted a nonaxial method of categorizing mental health disorders. In the fifth and latest edition, the first three axes within the DSM-IV were combined in the same category, with the last two axes being grouped together as well.

Axis I Disorders In the DSM-IV

Axis I disorders included both mental health andsubstance abuse disorders. Mental health conditions falling within the category of Axis I disorders were:

PTSD Diagnosis Changed from DSM-IV to DSM-5

Axial I disorders within the DSM-IV included anxiety disorders, one of which waspost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People with PTSD tend to have other anxiety disorders, also commonly developing substance use disorders.

Despite this connection, in the DSM-5, PTSD was removed from the category of anxiety disorders. Instead, it was put into a classification called “Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders.”

People with aPTSD diagnosishave typically witnessed or experienced an event in which their own or someone else’s life or well-being was seriously put in danger. Members of the armed forces, sexual assault victims, and those living through major natural disasters are examples of people who commonly experience PTSD.

Other mental health issues fell into the other axial categories. For instance, Axis II disorders includeddevelopmental disordersandpersonality disorders, the symptoms of which can usually be spotted in childhood and create lifelong challenges. Axis III disorders referred to medical or neurological issues with the potential to give rise to psychiatric problems.

Lastly, Axis V was used to classify an individual’s ability to function in life. It utilized a scale of 0 to 100, with a high score representing no effect on the person’s functional abilities and a low score representing severely reduced function and/or being a danger to themselves or others.

Seeking Help for Axial I Disorders

If you suspect that you or a loved one has a mental health disorder that was once an Axial I disorder, don’t hesitate to seek treatment. A mental health professional can provide strategies for coping with your condition.

These professionals may also sometimes prescribe drugs to help manage symptoms associated with that particular disorder. Simply speaking to a neutral party about your experiences can be uplifting as well.

What you discuss with a mental health provider is confidential. Reaching out for help is the first step in learning how to live your best life, and the beginning of yourmental health recoveryprocess.

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5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.DSM-5 changes: Implications for child serious emotional disturbance [Internet].Cooper R.Commentary on Jonathan Raskin’s “What might an alternative to theDSMsuitable for psychotherapists look like?“J Human Psychol. 2018;59(3):376-384. doi:10.1177/0022167818793751Bisson JI, Cosgrove S, Lewis C, Robert NP.Post-traumatic stress disorder.BMJ. 2015;351:h6161. doi:10.1136/bmj.h6161Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [Internet].National Institute of Mental Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.DSM-5 changes: Implications for child serious emotional disturbance [Internet].Cooper R.Commentary on Jonathan Raskin’s “What might an alternative to theDSMsuitable for psychotherapists look like?“J Human Psychol. 2018;59(3):376-384. doi:10.1177/0022167818793751Bisson JI, Cosgrove S, Lewis C, Robert NP.Post-traumatic stress disorder.BMJ. 2015;351:h6161. doi:10.1136/bmj.h6161Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [Internet].National Institute of Mental Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.DSM-5 changes: Implications for child serious emotional disturbance [Internet].Cooper R.Commentary on Jonathan Raskin’s “What might an alternative to theDSMsuitable for psychotherapists look like?“J Human Psychol. 2018;59(3):376-384. doi:10.1177/0022167818793751Bisson JI, Cosgrove S, Lewis C, Robert NP.Post-traumatic stress disorder.BMJ. 2015;351:h6161. doi:10.1136/bmj.h6161Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [Internet].National Institute of Mental Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.DSM-5 changes: Implications for child serious emotional disturbance [Internet].

Cooper R.Commentary on Jonathan Raskin’s “What might an alternative to theDSMsuitable for psychotherapists look like?“J Human Psychol. 2018;59(3):376-384. doi:10.1177/0022167818793751

Bisson JI, Cosgrove S, Lewis C, Robert NP.Post-traumatic stress disorder.BMJ. 2015;351:h6161. doi:10.1136/bmj.h6161

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [Internet].

National Institute of Mental Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.

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