Relational diagnosis: an idea whose time has come?

Abstract

Many marital and family therapists in the U.S., as well as the major organizations to which they belong, recognize that the DSMs and ICDs have become the accepted manuals for classification of individual mental and emotional dysfunctions. Because we/they have come to believe that many disorders emanate from interpersonal problems rather than from individual intrapsychic distress, a strong movement has mushroomed to develop a diagnostic system that describes relational disorders and to press for the inclusion of these in future versions of DSM and ICD. This commentary chronicles the evolution and accomplishments to date of those involved in this effort.