I’m part of the team writing the next bible of psychiatry – for the first time, the DSM will use biology to understand mental disorders

Despite advances in neuroscience, the underlying biology of mental illness has remained elusive. The DSM-6 will attempt to integrate neurobiology into how clinicians diagnose and treat psychiatric conditions.

By: Anand Kumar, University of Illinois Chicago, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: August 26, 2026

Words: 1,353

Last Updated: 1 month, 3 weeks ago

Body Text Preview

By Anand Kumar, University of Illinois Chicago

The “bible” of clinical psychiatry – the DSM, short for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – is one of the most popular psychiatry reference books around the world. Clinicians use it to diagnose patients and scientists use it to guide research.

Despite its wide impact, the DSM has never integrated biology in its diagnoses of mental illness. This omission was largely because the underlying …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us