Hi there, it's Alison Partial.
I'm an associate editor covering Mind and Brain at Scientific American.
I get to explore some of the most fascinating frontiers of human understanding and share them with you.
Every day, our team works to bring you science journalism that is clear, accurate,
and genuinely compelling,
helping you to make sense of discoveries that shape your decisions and your world.
In our latest issue, we take a deep dive into the science of consciousness,
one of the most mysterious and exciting topics in modern research.
Find it on our website at ScientificAmerican.com where you can find stories to stay informed and inspired.
For Scientific American Science Quickly, I'm Kendra Peer Lewis in for Rachel Feldman.
Think of a psychiatric condition, something like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,
panic disorder, or anorexia nervosa.
Nowadays,
many of us take for granted that a mental health care professional can help determine
if we have one of these conditions.
But how do they make that diagnosis?
It's based in part on guidelines from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
or the DSM.
It's a book published by the American Psychiatric Association.
with the goal of accurately describing recognized mental illnesses.