Sexual Addiction/Hypersexuality and theDSM: Update and Practice Guidance for Social Workers

As the terminology for sexual addiction/hypersexuality has evolved since the 1980s, social workers can benefit from an update and practice guidance. Although professional controversy continues about the symptoms, psychological mechanisms, and existence of the problem, the debate has come to a head with the official proposal of Hypersexual Disorder submitted for the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM–V]. This article synthesizes information most relevant to social work practitioners, including efforts to name and conceptually describe the problem and its psychological mechanisms, clinical presentation, and practice guidance for social workers in various roles, including referral, assessment, and treatment.