ICD-10 Chapter V: Mental and behavioural disorders

This is a shortened version of the fifth chapter of the ICD-10: Mental and behavioural disorders. It covers ICD codes F00 to F99. The chapter contains the International Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. All versions of the ICD-10, including the most recent one (2016), can be browsed freely on the website of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The ICD-10 can also be downloaded in PDF-form.

The WHO has made Chapter V available as two separate publications. The Clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines, or the "Blue Book", is for clinical and general educational use. The Diagnostic criteria for research, or the "Green Book", is intended for research purposes, and to be used in conjunction with the guidelines within it. As with the rest of the ICD-10, both books can be downloaded for free from the website of the WHO.

The codes of this chapter are used by the fifth, most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5, which is the primary system for diagnosing mental disorders in the world. The ICD-10 system is used to code these disorders, and strictly seen, the ICD has always been the official system of diagnosing mental diseases in the United States. Due to the dominance of the DSM, however, not even many professionals within psychiatry realize this.[1] A 'dual-system' in this field exists: the DSM is used for diagnostic criteria, while the ICD-codes are used for reimbursement claims towards the health insurance companies. The ICD also contains diagnostic criteria, but for the most part, therapists use those in the DSM. This structure has been criticized, with people wondering why there should be two separate systems for the classification of mental disorders. It has been proposed that the ICD supersede the DSM.[2]