With this column, the task force on DSM-IV begins the first ofa series of columns on issues in the development of the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, which is scheduled for publication in 1993. The purpose ofthe column is to encourage the widest possible participation in the development of DSM-IV. In this and other ways, we hope to solicit a diversity ofdata and opinion relevant to the revision of the diagnostic classification and to highlight major issues in the development ofDSM-JV as they arise. The impact of DSM-IV and the extent of its use cannot be underestimated. DSM-JV will be used by psychiatric clinicians and researchers of all disciplines-psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psycholo-