Profile of Mental Functioning. M Axis

This chapter describes 12 categories of basic mental functions that can help clinicians capture the complexity and individuality of each patient. The authors provide descriptions of different levels of psychological functioning and adaptation, ranging from more compromised to more functional, along with descriptors that allow a clinician to rate a patient in each capacity. Clinical utility demands that both adaptive and maladaptive functioning be taken into account in order to plan the most effective and well-rounded therapeutic interventions, anticipate challenges that may arise during treatment, delineate therapeutic goals, and evaluate treatment progress.