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Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder

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Handbook of DSM-5 Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of a disorder newly defined in DSM-5 (APA, 2013), disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED). This disorder has been recognized and described by various names since at least the mid-twentieth century and defines a pattern of behavior characterized by the absence of developmentally expected reticence in young children about engaging and interacting socially with unfamiliar adults. These defining behaviors have been identified most readily in young children raised in institutions or in those who have been neglected and placed in foster care.

Although the behaviors comprising the disorder have been known for some time, the term DSED was introduced in DSM-5 (APA, 2013). We begin by providing a brief history of the development of this diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Reviews have documented a large number of studies that form an empirical justification for the diagnosis of DSED (see Zeanah & Gleason, 2015). In this chapter we update and expand on these reviews, and we consider the symptom presentation, etiology of the disorder, associated impairments and comorbidities, course and developmental challenges, intervention, and what the data suggest regarding prognosis and outcome. In addition, we consider whether it is appropriate to consider DSED as an attachment disorder. We conclude with recommendations for further study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Devi Miron & Charles H. Zeanah

Authors
  1. Devi Miron
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  2. Charles H. Zeanah
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Correspondence to Charles H. Zeanah .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    Sam Goldstein

  2. Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    Melissa DeVries

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Miron, D., Zeanah, C.H. (2017). Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder. In: Goldstein, S., DeVries, M. (eds) Handbook of DSM-5 Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57196-6_14

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