715Other Conditions That May Be
a Focus of Clinical Attention
This discussion  covers other conditions and proble ms that may be a focus of clini-
cal attention or that may otherwise affect the diagnosis, course, prog nosis, or treatment of
a patient’s mental disorder. These conditio ns are presented with their corresponding
codes from ICD-9-CM (usually  V codes) and ICD-10-CM (usu ally Z codes). A condition
or problem in this chapter may be coded if it  is a reason for the current visit or helps to
explain the need for a test, procedure, or trea tment. Conditions and problems in this chap-
ter may also be included in the medical record  as useful information on circumstances that
may affect the patient’s care, regardless of their relevance to the current visit.
The conditions and problems listed in this chapter are not mental disorders. Their in-
clusion in DSM-5 is meant to draw attention to  the scope of additional issues that may be
encountered in routine clinical practice and to provide a systematic listing that may be
useful to clinicians in documenting these issues.
Relational Problems
Key relationships, especially intimate adult partner relationships and parent/caregiver-
child relationships, have a significant impact on the health of the individuals in these re-
lationships. These relationships can be health  promoting and protective, neutral, or detri-
mental to health outcomes. In the extreme, th ese close relationships can be associated with
maltreatment or neglect, which has signif icant medical and psyc hological consequences
for the affected individual. A relational problem may come to clinical attention either as
the reason that the individual  seeks health care or as a pr oblem that affects the course,
prognosis, or treatment of the individual’s mental or other medical disorder.