ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the history of development of diagnostic systems in relation to substance use disorders. Although DSM-5 uses a combined set of criteria to diagnose a single substance use disorder, and has removed the dichotomy of substance abuse/dependence, and the ‘legal problems’ symptoms, it has not recognised that brain maturation changes during adolescence may mediate sensitivity to drugs. The chapter presents the relevance of DSM-5 and ICD-10 to the adolescent and young people population in terms of substance use disorders. A new behavioural addiction disorder, which is particularly pertinent to adolescents, Gaming disorder, has been included as a separate diagnostic category. Substance use disorder in DSM-5 combines the categories of abuse and dependence into a single disorder that is measured on a continuum from mild to severe. Each specific substance is addressed as a separate use disorder but abuse of nearly all substances is diagnosed based on the same overarching criteria.
