How to Cite DSM-5

Citing the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in APA is a common task in psychology and humanities papers, and the DSM 5 APA citation is easier than it looks once you see the pattern. The American Psychiatric Association is both author and publisher, which trips people up at first. Copy the exact reference below for whichever edition you used, the 2013 DSM-5 or the 2022 DSM-5-TR. This guide covers the APA and MLA formats first, with a shorter Chicago section further down.

How Do You Cite the DSM-5 in APA?

This is the DSM 5 reference APA format required by the 7th edition Publication Manual, Section 10.2, example 32. Pick the row below for your edition and paste it directly into your reference list, then swap in the matching in-text form.

DSM 5 APA citation quick reference

What you need	Copy this
APA reference – DSM-5 (2013)	American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
APA reference – DSM 5 TR citation (2022)	American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
In-text, first mention (DSM-5)	(American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
In-text, first mention (DSM-5-TR)	(American Psychiatric Association, 2022)
In-text, subsequent mentions	(APA, 2013) or (APA, 2022)
In-text, direct quote with page number	(APA, 2013, p. 150)

First mention in text (full form):
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) provides the official diagnostic criteria for mental disorders.

Citing a Specific Chapter or Disorder (APA)

Sometimes you only need one chapter or one disorder entry, not the whole manual. The Association is still the author of the chapter entry, so the format below just adds the chapter title before the book title. This is a variant of the same pattern used to cite a single article or section instead of an entire source.

Reference, DSM-5-TR chapter (e.g., Anxiety Disorders):
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Anxiety disorders. In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.x05_Anxiety_Disorders

Reference, DSM-5 Cautionary Statement:
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Cautionary statement for forensic use of DSM-5. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

For a specific disorder’s diagnostic criteria rather than a direct quote, cite the chapter entry the same way, swapping in that chapter’s title and, if you have it, its page range.

How Do You Cite the DSM-5 in MLA or Chicago Style?

APA covers most psychology and humanities papers, but some courses require MLA or Chicago style for the same DSM-5 source instead. Both follow the same author-is-publisher logic as APA, just with different punctuation, ordering, and capitalization rules for the reference list entry.

MLA Style (9th Edition) Works Cited

MLA’s basic format requires the publisher’s name (even though it’s the same as the author) and uses a DOI link. Note the different punctuation and capitalization from APA.

Standard DSM-5 (from 2013)

American Psychiatric Association.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
5th ed.,
American Psychiatric Association, 2013.
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.

Text Revision DSM-5-TR (from 2022)

American Psychiatric Association.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
5th ed., text rev.,
American Psychiatric Association, 2022.
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.

Note: If you use a print version, the reference ends after the year (MLA) or the edition (APA). Most readers will be citing the online version with a DOI.

MLA in-text, first mention:
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) provides official diagnostic criteria (American Psychiatric Association 150).

MLA in-text, subsequent mentions:
…this classification (American Psychiatric Association 151). The DSM-5 organizes anxiety disorders differently (American Psychiatric Association 190-195).

MLA chapter reference:
American Psychiatric Association. “Anxiety Disorders.” Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th ed., text rev., American Psychiatric Association, 2022, pp. 215-263. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.x05_Anxiety_Disorders

Chicago Style (17th Edition, Author-Date)

Chicago’s author-date system treats the Association the same way as APA and MLA: as the author. The year moves right after the name, with no parentheses in the reference list entry.

Chicago reference, DSM-5:
American Psychiatric Association. 2013. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. American Psychiatric Association Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.

Chicago reference, DSM-5-TR:
American Psychiatric Association. 2022. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed., text rev. American Psychiatric Association Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.

Chicago in-text:
(American Psychiatric Association 2013) or, for a specific page, (American Psychiatric Association 2013, 145).

A Note on the ICD

You may also see references to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD), a different diagnostic classification system from the World Health Organization. The DSM’s diagnostic codes map onto the ICD system. Citing the World Health Organization follows a similar author-as-publisher format.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Citing the DSM-5

Even careful writers trip up on a few recurring details when citing the DSM-5 in a paper. The table below covers the mistakes instructors and graders flag most often, along with the fix for each one.

Common DSM-5 citation mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Listing “DSM-5” as the author	The American Psychiatric Association is the author, not the abbreviation. Use the Association’s full name in the reference list entry.
Citing the wrong edition’s DOI	Match the DOI to the edition you actually read: the one ending in 425596 for 2013, the one ending in 425787 for 2022.
Dropping “(text rev.)” for the 2022 edition	APA requires “(5th ed., text rev.)” for that edition, not just “(5th ed.).” Leaving it off makes the reference look like the earlier one.
Forgetting to italicize the title	Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and its abbreviation DSM-5 are both italicized, the same as any book title.
Mixing MLA and APA punctuation	APA uses parentheses and a comma before the year. MLA skips the comma and cites a page number instead. Check which style your assignment requires before you paste a reference.

For a direct quote at a specific page, add the page number after the year, as in introducing a quotation properly: (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 150). If you’re citing a disorder’s criteria rather than quoting a sentence directly, cite the chapter entry instead, as shown above.

Quick Questions (FAQ)