Personality Disorder

A Personality Disorder is a mental disorder that involves enduring patterns of maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that significantly deviate from cultural expectations and cause persistent distress or functional impairment.

• AKA: Personality Pathology, Character Disorder, Personality Dysfunction, PD.
• Context:
  • It can typically involve personality disorder thought pattern characterized by rigid and distorted cognitions about self, others, and the world.
  • It can typically feature personality disorder emotional dysfunction manifesting as inappropriate, intense, or restricted affective responses.
  • It can typically include personality disorder behavioral problem shown through maladaptive ways of interacting with others and responding to environmental demands.
  • It can commonly demonstrate personality disorder interpersonal difficulty through consistent problems in forming and maintaining healthy relationships.
  • It can commonly involve personality disorder identity disturbance where individuals have unstable, distorted, or poorly developed sense of self.
  • It can commonly feature personality disorder functional impairment affecting work performance, social relationships, and overall quality of life.
  • It can range from being a Mild Personality Disorder to being a Severe Personality Disorder, depending on the symptom intensity and functional impact.
  • It can range from being a Cluster A Personality Disorder to being a Cluster B Personality Disorder to being a Cluster C Personality Disorder, depending on the symptom presentation and behavioral pattern.
  • It can have personality disorder diagnostic criteria requiring an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from cultural expectations.
  • It can involve personality disorder prevalence pattern affecting approximately 9-15% of the general population across different cultures.
  • It can have personality disorder etiology factor including complex interactions between genetic predisposition, neurobiological vulnerabilities, and adverse environmental experiences.
  • It can include personality disorder onset pattern typically beginning in adolescence or early adulthood and persisting throughout the lifespan.
  • It can have personality disorder treatment approach involving psychotherapy as the primary intervention, with medication sometimes used for specific symptoms.
  • It can typically feature personality disorder stability characteristic where patterns remain relatively consistent over time without intervention.
  • It can have personality disorder developmental trajectory often showing precursor traits in childhood and early adolescence.
  • It can commonly demonstrate personality disorder insight limitation where affected individuals have reduced awareness of their maladaptive patterns.
  • It can frequently involve personality disorder ego-syntonic nature where behaviors are consistent with the ego integrity of the individual and thus perceived as appropriate.
  • It can commonly exhibit personality disorder psychiatric comorbidity with 40-60% of psychiatric patients receiving personality disorder diagnoses.
  • It can have personality disorder clinical validity controversy due to inevitable subjectivity in diagnosis based on prevailing cultural expectations.
  • It can involve personality disorder sociopolitical critique suggesting definitions are based on social, political, or economic considerations rather than objective medical criteria.
  • It can range from being a Categorical Personality Disorder Model to being a Dimensional Personality Disorder Model, depending on the diagnostic approach and classification system.
  • It can have personality disorder diagnostic evolution where DSM-5 now lists personality disorders in the same way as other mental disorders rather than on a separate axis.
  • It can feature personality disorder coping deficit where maladaptive coping skills lead to problems inducing extreme anxiety, distress, or depression.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Personality Disorder Diagnostic Clusters, such as:
    • Cluster A Personality Disorders, characterized by odd or eccentric thinking and behavior patterns, including:
      • Paranoid Personality Disorder featuring pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others.
      • Schizoid Personality Disorder involving detachment from social relationships and restricted emotional expression.
      • Schizotypal Personality Disorder characterized by acute discomfort with close relationships and cognitive or perceptual distortions.
    • Cluster B Personality Disorders, characterized by dramatic, emotional, or erratic behavior patterns, including:
      • Antisocial Personality Disorder featuring a pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others.
      • Borderline Personality Disorder involving instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects.
      • Histrionic Personality Disorder characterized by excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior.
      • Narcissistic Personality Disorder featuring grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy.
    • Cluster C Personality Disorders, characterized by anxious or fearful behavior patterns, including:
      • Avoidant Personality Disorder involving social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to criticism.
      • Dependent Personality Disorder characterized by submissive and clinging behavior related to excessive need to be taken care of.
      • Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder featuring preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control.
  • Personality Disorder Diagnostic Systems, such as:
    • DSM-5 Personality Disorder Classification, using the categorical approach with specific criteria for ten distinct disorders.
    • ICD-11 Personality Disorder Model, employing a dimensional approach focusing on severity and trait domains.
    • Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders, assessing personality functioning and pathological trait domains.
    • Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual Personality Disorder Approach, emphasizing internal psychological processes and defense mechanisms.
    • Kernberg Personality Organization Model, conceptualizing personality pathology along a continuum of structural integration.
  • Personality Disorder Treatment Methods, such as:
    • Dialectical Behavior Therapy Personality Disorder Treatment, targeting emotional dysregulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
    • Schema Therapy Personality Disorder Approach, addressing early maladaptive schemas and coping styles.
    • Mentalization-Based Treatment Personality Disorder Program, focusing on improving reflective functioning and interpersonal understanding.
    • Transference-Focused Psychotherapy Personality Disorder Intervention, working with distorted internal representations of self and others.
    • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Personality Disorder Protocol, targeting maladaptive cognitions and behavioral patterns.
    • Good Psychiatric Management Personality Disorder Approach, providing practical, evidence-based interventions for clinicians.
  • Personality Disorder Assessment Tools, such as:
    • Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders, providing systematic assessment of categorical personality disorders.
    • Personality Assessment Inventory, measuring various clinical constructs including personality pathology.
    • Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, assessing personality traits and psychopathology patterns.
    • Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, specifically designed to evaluate personality disorders and clinical syndromes.
    • Personality Disorder Belief Questionnaire, assessing dysfunctional beliefs associated with different personality disorders.
  • Personality Disorder Neurobiological Basises, such as:
    • Personality Disorder Prefrontal Cortex Dysfunction, affecting executive functioning and decision-making processes.
    • Personality Disorder Amygdala Hyperreactivity, influencing emotional processing and regulation.
    • Personality Disorder Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Dysregulation, affecting stress responses.
    • Personality Disorder Neurotransmitter Imbalance, involving serotonin, dopamine, and other neurochemical systems.
    • Personality Disorder Structural Brain Abnormality, showing differences in gray matter volume in specific regions.
  • Personality Disorder Cultural Variations, such as:
    • Western Cultural Personality Disorder Conceptualization, emphasizing individual autonomy and self-expression.
    • East Asian Cultural Personality Disorder Manifestation, focusing more on interpersonal harmony and group functioning.
    • Indigenous Cultural Personality Disorder Understanding, incorporating spiritual and community perspectives.
    • Cross-Cultural Personality Disorder Diagnostic Challenge, requiring culturally sensitive assessment approaches.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • Acute Mental Disorder, which involves temporary symptoms rather than enduring patterns of maladaptive functioning.
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorder, which originates in childhood development and involves cognitive deficits rather than personality patterns.
  • Cultural Variance in Personality, which represents non-pathological differences in personality traits across different cultural contexts.
  • Personality Change Due to Medical Condition, which is directly caused by physiological effects of a medical condition rather than representing an enduring pattern.
  • Substance-Induced Personality Change, which is attributable to substance effects rather than an enduring personality structure.
  • Normal Personality Trait Variation, which involves differences within the range of typical personality functioning without causing distress or impairment.
  • Temporary Life Crisis Reaction, which represents a time-limited response to stressful life events rather than an enduring personality pattern.
  • Adjustment Disorder, which involves maladaptive responses to identifiable stressors but is not an enduring pattern across contexts.
• See: Mental Disorder, Psychopathology, Personality Psychology, Psychotherapy, Psychosocial Development, Attachment Theory, Temperament, Neurobiology of Personality, Psychological Assessment, Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, Diagnostic Classification, DSM-5, Politics, Maladaptive, Diagnostic And Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, International Statistical Classification of Diseases And Related Health Problems#Mental And Behavioral Disorders, International Statistical Classification of Diseases And Related Health Problems, World Health Organization, Personality, Ego-Syntonic, Ego Integrity.

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References

2017

• (Wikipedia, 2017) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/personality_disorder Retrieved:2017-2-16.
  • Personality disorders (PD) are a class of mental disorders characterized by enduring maladaptive patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience, exhibited across many contexts and deviating markedly from those accepted by the individual's culture. These patterns develop early, are inflexible, and are associated with significant distress or disability. The definitions may vary somewhat, according to source. Official criteria for diagnosing personality disorders are listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), and in the mental and behavioral disorders section of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD), published by the World Health Organization (WHO). The DSM-5 lists personality disorders in the same way as other mental disorders, rather than on a separate 'axis', as previously. Personality, defined psychologically, is the set of enduring behavioral and mental traits that distinguish between individual humans. Hence, personality disorders are defined by experiences and behaviors that differ from societal norms and expectations. Those diagnosed with a personality disorder may experience difficulties in cognition, emotiveness, interpersonal functioning, or impulse control. In general, personality disorders are diagnosed in 40–60% of psychiatric patients, making them the most frequent of psychiatric diagnosis. Personality disorders are characterized by an enduring collection of behavioral patterns often associated with considerable personal, social, and occupational disruption. Personality disorders are also inflexible and pervasive across many situations, largely due to the fact that such behavior may be ego-syntonic (i.e. the patterns are consistent with the ego integrity of the individual) and are therefore perceived to be appropriate for that individual. This behavior can result in maladaptive coping skills, may lead to personal problems that induce extreme anxiety, distress, or depression. These patterns of behavior typically are recognized in adolescence and the beginning of adulthood and, in some unusual instances, childhood. Many issues occur with classifying a personality disorder. There are many categories of definition,some mild and some extreme. Because the theory and diagnosis of personality disorders occur within prevailing cultural expectations, their validity is contested by some experts on the basis of inevitable subjectivity. They argue that the theory and diagnosis of personality disorders are based strictly on social, or even sociopolitical and economic considerations.

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).

2. World Health Organization. (2019). International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (11th ed.).

3. Oldham, J. M., Skodol, A. E., & Bender, D. S. (2014). The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Personality Disorders.

4. Livesley, W. J., & Larstone, R. (2018). Handbook of Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment (2nd ed.).

5. Bateman, A. W., & Fonagy, P. (2016). Mentalization-Based Treatment for Personality Disorders: A Practical Guide.

6. Kernberg, O. (1984). Severe Personality Disorders. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, ISBN 0300053495.

7. Schacter, D. L.; Gilbert, D. T. and Wegner, D. M. (2011) Psychology, 2nd Edition. p. 330, ISBN 1429237198.

8. Saß, H. (2001). "Personality Disorders," pp. 11301-11308 in Smelser, N. J. & Baltes, P. B. (eds.) International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences, Amsterdam: Elsevier ISBN 978-0-08-043076-8.

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