Specifier (Psychology)

Specifiers are extensions to a diagnosis to further clarify a disorder or illness.^[1] They allow for a more specific diagnosis. They are used extensively in the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) primarily in the diagnosis of mood disorders. Specifiers are not mutually exclusive and more than one specifier may be applied on a patient.^[2]

In bipolar disorder, specifiers describe the nature of a current episode, such as the levels of anxiety, melancholia, and psychosis, and whether moods are congruent with behavior or incongruent.^[3] They also describe the ongoing nature of recurrent episodes, when they began, how often they occur, and the pattern of re-occurrence. A postpartum onset specifier can be applied in major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder if the onset is within four weeks after childbirth.^[4]

• Purse, Marcia (July 5, 2017). "What Are Specifiers in Bipolar Disorder?". Verywell. https://www.verywell.com/what-are-specifiers-379957. 
• American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. American Psychiatric Publishing. 

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