The Impact of the Proposed Changes for the DSM-5 on Diagnoses of First-time DUI/DWI Offenders

Abstract

Driving while impaired (DWI) is a frequently committed crime with enormous individual and social costs. The type of disposition and/or treatment appropriate for an individual offender is often determined, in part, by diagnostic criteria based on the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistics Manual. The DSM-5 significantly modified these criteria by eliminating legal problems as a criterion and dropping the categories of abuse and dependence. A brief substance abuse focused interview was conducted with 658 consecutive first-time DUI offenders who were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Most were white, well-educated males. Contingency analyses were utilized to compare the current with the new diagnostic criteria based on algorithms for both diagnostic formulations. The major change observed when moving from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5 criteria was that, approximately 54% of first-time DUI/DWI offenders would no longer meet diagnostic criteria based on the DSM-5. Of the nearly 17% who met dependence criteria, the majority were in the severe designation of the DSM-5.