Consumers' attitudes toward DSM-III and DSM-III-R: a 1989 survey of psychiatric educators, researchers, practitioners, and senior residents.

To understand how DSM-III and DSM-III-R are used and perceived by educators, researchers, practitioners, and trainees, in the spring of 1989 we surveyed all US psychiatric residency training directors (N = 197), 337 active psychiatrist researchers, a nationwide random sample of 952 practicing psychiatrists, and all PGY-3 and -4 residents. We describe the factors influencing the use of DSM-III and DSM-III-R and the perceptions of strengths and weaknesses of the DSMs from various perspectives (training, research, and practice). A modest increase in the acceptance of the DSM system was noted in comparing the results from the current survey and a similar 1984 survey about DSM-III. The implications of these findings for the development of DSM-IV are discussed.