What is the Difference Between DSM Subtypes & Specifiers?

This video describes the difference between subtypes and specifiers for mental health disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Subtypes are mutually exclusive and jointly (collectively) exhaustive. If an individual has a mental health diagnosis that contains subtypes, they would be assigned one and only one subtype. Only one subtype can ever be assigned (mutually exclusive, having one rules out the others) and one subtype must be assigned (jointly exhaustive, the subtypes cover all of the possible presentations). The term “specify whether” indicates a subtype is required. Specifiers may be mutually exclusive, but are not always. The may also be jointly exhaustive, however, they are not in every case. Specifiers usually provide more information about course (e.g. in remission), severity (e.g. mild, moderate, severe, extreme), or descriptive features (e.g. in a controlled environment). The terms “specify if” or “specify” are used to indicate a specifier may be assigned.