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Cited by 735Academic and Historical Perspectives in PsychologyLGBTQ Health, Identity, and PolicyHistorical Psychiatry and Medical Practices

Out of DSM: Depathologizing Homosexuality

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Drescher, Jack·2015·Behavioral Sciences
DOI 10.3390/bs5040565PMC PMC4695779
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Abstract

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) removed the diagnosis of “homosexuality” from the second edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). This resulted after comparing competing theories, those that pathologized homosexuality and those that viewed it as normal. In an effort to explain how that decision came about, this paper reviews some historical scientific theories and arguments that first led to the placement of homosexuality in DSM-I and DSM-II as well as alternative theories that eventually led to its removal from DSM III and subsequent editions of the manual. The paper concludes with a discussion of the sociocultural aftermath of that 1973 decision.

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Research works printed but not linked: 10

  1. [8]American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 2nd ed. American Psychiatric Press Washington, DC, USA 1968
  2. [9]American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 3rd ed. American Psychiatric Press Washington, DC, USA 1980
  3. [10]American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 3rd ed. revised American Psychiatric Press Washington, DC, USA 1987
  4. [11]American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th ed. American Psychiatric Press Washington, DC, USA 1994
  5. [19]Freud S. Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality Standard Edition Volume 7 Hogarth Press London, UK 1953 [1905] 123 246
  6. [28]Freud S. The Psychogenesis of a Case of Homosexuality in a Woman Standard Edition Volume 18 Hogarth Press London, UK 1955 [1920] 145 172
  7. [39]Freud S. Anonymous (Letter to an American mother) The Letters of Sigmund Freud Freud E. Basic Books New York, NY, USA 1960 [1935] 423 424
  8. [62]Mass L. Homosexuality and Sexuality: Dialogues of the Sexual Revolution Harrington Park Press New York, NY, USA 1990 Volume 1
  9. [63]Krajeski J. Homosexuality and the mental health professions Textbook of Homosexuality and Mental Health Cabaj R.P. Stein T.S. American Psychiatric Press Washington, DC, USA 1996 17 31
  10. [65]Institute of Medicine The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding The National Academies Press Washington, DC, USA 2011 22013611

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Authors
Drescher, J.
Affiliations
William Alanson White Institute (US)
Corresponding author
Drescher, Jack
ORCID
Drescher, Jack
Venue
Behavioral Sciences
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2015-12-04
Volume
5
Issue
4
Pages
565-575
ISSN
2076-328X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/bs5040565
PMC
PMC4695779
OpenAlex
W2183304066
Cited by
735
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 34 · 2025: 66 · 2024: 102 · 2023: 95 · 2022: 91 · 2021: 84 · 2020: 133 · 2019: 61 · 2018: 46 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1
FWCI
78.61
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Behavioral Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › General Psychology › Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Historical Psychiatry and Medical Practices
Keywords
homosexuality, depathologization, American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-II, DSM-III, history of psychiatry, psychiatric diagnosis, sexual orientation, socio-cultural impacts

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