DEFINITION

• Disorder of social functioning characterized by culturally inappropriate, overly familiar behavior with unfamiliar adults
  • Rare, but when does occur is most often in a child who has experienced extremely insufficient care (e.g., institutional upbringing, frequent foster care changes)
• Disinhibited social engagement disorder is classified under the Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5)[1].
  
  • This is a new diagnosis in DSM-5, previously described as a subtype of reactive attachment disorder.