Personality Disorders: Summary and Conclusion

Personality Disorder Definition

Personality disorders are a diagnostic category of psychiatric disorders that affect approximately 10% of the population. This group of disorders is characterized by problematic thinking patterns; problems with emotional regulation; and difficulty achieving a balance between spontaneity and impulse control.

Since everyone has a personality, but not everyone has a personality disorder, these disorders are considered a variant form of normal, healthy personality.

• However, the most significant and defining feature of personality disorders is the negative effect these disorders have on interpersonal relationships.
• People with personality disorders tend to respond to differing situations and demands with a characteristically rigid constellation of thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
• This inflexibility and difficulty in forming nuanced responses represents the primary difference between healthy and disordered personalities.

Personality Disorder Diagnosis

The diagnosis of personality disorders is often very complex as these disorders frequently co-occur with each other and with other psychiatric categories of disorders. The current diagnostic system of the DSM-5 (APA, 2013) relies upon a categorical approach that outlines the following criteria to meet a personality disorder diagnosis:

• Significant impairments in interpersonal functioning and self-identity that are relatively consistent across time and situations.
• The impairments have no discernable cause outside of the individual's personality trait domains, like psychological or head trauma, sociological/cultural environment and are not due to the effects of using a substance.

Personality Disorder Causes

The exact cause of personality disorders remains uncertain. However, it is clear there are both biological and psychosocial factors that influence the development of personality and personality disorders.

Personality Disorder Treatment