RELATIONAL DIAGNOSIS - AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME

Many marital and family therapists in the U.S., as well as the major o rganizations to which they belong, recognize that the DSMs and ICDs ha ve become the accepted manuals for classification of individual mental and emotional dysfunctions. Because we/they have come to believe that many disorders emanate from interpersonal problems rather than from i ndividual intrapsychic distress, a strong movement has mushroomed to d evelop a diagnostic system that describes relational disorders and to press for the inclusion of these in future versions of DSM and ICD. Th is commentary chronicles the evolution and accomplishments to date of those involved in this effort.