(taken from this post - http://psychhealth.tumblr.com/post/52333863411/highlights-of-changes-from-dsm-iv-tr-to-dsm-5)
Schizophrenia
Elimination of the special attribution of bizarre delusions and Schneiderian first-rank auditory hallucinations (e.g., two or more voices conversing) —> two Criterion A symptoms now required for any diagnosis of schizophrenia
Addition of a requirement in Criterion A that the individual must have at least one of these three symptoms: delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech.
Schizophrenia Subtypes
The DSM-IV subtypes of schizophrenia (i.e., paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated, and residual types) are eliminated (whaaaaaaaaaaat)
New dimensional approach to rating severity for the core symptoms of schizophrenia (well at least that’s a step in the right direction, I think)
Schizoaffective Disorder
Requirement that a major mood episode be present for a majority of the disorder’s total duration after Criterion A has been met —> disorder now a longitudinal vs. cross-sectional diagnosis, making it more comparable to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc.
Delusional Disorder
Criterion A for delusional disorder no longer has the requirement that the delusions must be nonbizarre
Catatonia
The same criteria are used to diagnose catatonia whether the context is a psychotic, bipolar, depressive, or other medical disorder, or an unidentified medical condition, and all contexts require three catatonic symptoms (from a total of 12 characteristic symptoms)
May be diagnosed as a specifier for depressive, bipolar, and psychotic disorders; as a separate diagnosis in the context of another medical condition; or as an other specified diagnosis.