DSM-5 does away with first three axes, combines them into one list

[Olm the Water King]

Interesting. This is actually from 2013, but I haven't heard much talk about it yet.

DSM-5 Changes: Personality Disorders (Axis II) | Psych Central Professional

...The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) has some changes related to personality disorders, which were coded on Axis II under the DSM-IV. This article outlines some of the major changes to these conditions.

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the publisher of the DSM-5, the major change with personality disorders is that they are no longer coded on Axis II in the DSM-5, because DSM-5 has done away with the duplicative and confusing nature of “axes” for diagnostic coding.

Prior to the DSM-5, mental disorders and health concerns of a person were coded in five separate areas — or axes — in the DSM. According to the APA, this multiaxial system was “introduced in part to solve a problem that no longer exists: Certain disorders, like personality disorders, received inadequate clinical and research focus. As a consequence, these disorders were designated to Axis II to ensure they received greater attention.”

Since there really was no meaningful difference in the distinction between these two different types of mental disorders, they axis system became unnecessary in the DSM-5. The new system combines the first three axes outlined in past editions of DSM into one axis with all mental and other medical diagnoses. “Doing so removes artificial distinctions among conditions,” says the APA, “benefiting both clinical practice and research use.”