Dhat Syndrome as a Diagnostic Category: The Nosological Struggle

Dhat syndrome is a culture-bound syndrome commonly seen in young, unmarried, less educated males from rural backgrounds in South East Asia. Since its introduction in the 1960s, its nosological status has still been unsettled. It was first appeared in the International Classification of Diseases version 10 (ICD-10) and in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Text Revision of the fourth edition (DSM-IV-TR) which lost significance in the next editions of the classificatory system i.e. ICD-11 and DSM-5. There are several controversies regarding its cultural boundary (South Asia or global), part of other illnesses (depression, somatization), non-specific symptoms, and lack of specific markers. This chapter aims to discuss the nosological status of dhat syndrome, and controversies related to it while considering the nosological position it.