What Does Depressive Disorder NOS Mean

What Does Depressive Disorder NOS Mean Depression Types Print Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) in the Diagnosis of Mental Disorders How This Term Was Used in the Fourth Edition of the DSM By Nancy Schimelpfening Nancy Schimelpfening, MS is the administrator for the non-profit depression support group Depression Sanctuary. Nancy has a lifetime of experience with depression, experiencing firsthand how devastating this illness can be. Learn about our editorial policy Nancy Schimelpfening Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on January 14, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on February 04, 2020 PEDRE / Getty Images More in Depression Types Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Childhood Depression Suicide In the fourth edition of  the  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), which was written and issued by the American Psychiatric Association  (APA), NOS is an abbreviation for not otherwise specified. It serves as a sort of catch-all term to label symptoms that dont neatly fall into a well-defined diagnosis, but that clearly indicates that someone is dealing with an illness thats part of a  specific family of diagnoses.?? An example of this is Depressive Disorder NOS. A doctor using the DSM-IV to diagnose a patient may have chosen this label if it was clear that the persons symptoms showed they were dealing with a particular type of depression (rather  than, say, a panic disorder or an  anxiety disorder), but there wasnt enough information to home in a specific type of depression, such as dysthymia or bipolar disorder. Some other examples of not otherwise specified mental disorders include: Anxiety Disorder NOSBipolar Disorder NOSDissociative Disorder NOSEating Disorder NOSGender Identity Disorder NOS    Impulse-Control Disorder NOSMood Disorder NOSParasomnia NOS  Personality Disorder NOSPervasive Developmental Disorder NOSPsychotic Disorder NOSSexual Dysfunction NOSSomatoform Disorder NOS Why NOS Is No Longer in the DSM Today you wont find a NOS diagnosis for depressive disorder or any other mental disorder in the DSM (now on its fifth edition). This isnt because there are fewer people with the symptoms but because its considered an outdated diagnostic category. The DSM is what clinicians and psychiatrists use to assess and diagnose psychiatric disorders. It is also used for billing as many health insurance providers require a specific diagnosis for approval of payment for treatment.?? There have been several versions of the DSM manual since it was first published in 1952 (DSM-1), including the most recent DSM-5 (note that the use of Roman numerals was dropped from the title of the manual), which was published in May of 2013 and contains some significant changes from previous editions. Other Specified and Unspecified Changes included the elimination of the catch-all not otherwise specified (and NOS) subcategory. The authors have replaced it with other specified and unspecified to indicate clusters of symptoms that do not neatly fit into another existing category.?? Why two terms to replace one? The difference is based on whether the diagnosing doctor chooses to indicate why the diagnostic criteria were not met. An example of other specified might be a depressive episode that does not have the full number of symptoms to meet the formal diagnosis. By contrast, unspecified might be used in a situation in which there isnt enough information to make a more specific diagnosis. According to the APA, unspecified allows doctors to provide patients with the best possible care in, for example, emergency situations when there isnt time to get all the information necessary to make a solid diagnosis, but treatment is nevertheless needed. An unspecified label will allow a physician to be as specific as possible in their diagnosis without necessarily showing that a patient meets the full criteria for a given diagnosis. For example, in an emergency room setting, the medical professional on staff can use the diagnosis of unspecified depressive disorder for problems that do not meet the full criteria for any of the disorders in the depressive disorders diagnostic class or if there simply isnt enough information for a conclusive diagnosis. Why Some Disorders Arent Found in the DSM-5 Making Diagnoses More Universal Replacing NOS brings the DSM-5 more in line with the World Health Organizations International Classification of Diseases  (ICD).?? This diagnostic tool  is the foundation for the identification of health trends and statistics globally and the international standard for reporting diseases and health conditions. It is the diagnostic classification standard for all clinical and research purposes, according to the World Health Organization. The ICD requires mandatory codes for disorders that do not precisely fit current definitions for major disorders. So how will this change impact you? While reclassifying mental disorders and making them more universal wont change the symptoms associated with your specific condition, it will hopefully enable mental health professionals to formulate a more tailored treatment plan that addresses your individual symptoms, needs, and overall health. How Depression Is Diagnosed With the DSM-5