Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual: PDM-3

Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual #3

by Nancy McWilliams (Editor), Vittorio Lingiardi MD (Editor)

Fully updated and restructured with 70% new material, PDM-3 presents important advances in multiaxial mental health diagnosis from a psychodynamic perspective, in dialogue with neuroscientific and cognitive-behavioral perspectives. Used worldwide, this authoritative manual offers an empirically based, clinically useful alternative or supplement to DSM and ICD descriptive and symptom-oriented diagnoses. PDM-3 guides the practitioner to develop a multilayered dimensional understanding of each patient, leading to a rich case formulation and flexible treatment plan. Leading international experts systematically address personality functioning, mental capacities, and symptomatic impairment in infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age, including jargon-free descriptions and clinical examples. The companion website provides additional, in depth case illustrations and five downloadable and reproducible PDM-derived rating scales.

New to This Edition Restructured to follow development chronologically. Conceptual refinements, updated assessment tools, and expanded case material.  Chapters on the transition from infancy to childhood and from adolescence to adulthood. Chapters on psychological experiences throughout the lifespan that are not captured by a diagnosis, but may require clinical attention. 
Supporting associations include the International Psychoanalytical Association, Division 39 of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy, the American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, and other organizations.

PDM-2 won the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis Book Prize (Clinical Category)

Genres: Psychology, Psychoanalysis

1090 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2025

About the author

McWilliams is a psychoanalytic/dynamic author, teacher, supervisor, and therapist.