Personality Disorders

Type of psychology: Psychopathology
Fields of study: Personality assessment; personality disorders
The personality disorders are a cluster of psychological disorders characterized by inflexible
and long-standing patterns of relating to others and the environment that create
significant impairment in functioning.
Key concepts
• antisocial personality disorder
• avoidant personality disorder
• borderline personality disorder
• dependent personality disorder
• histrionic personality disorder
• narcissistic personality disorder
• paranoid personality disorder
• personality
• obsessive-compulsive disorder
• schizoid personality disorder
• schizotypal personality disorder
Personality is a termused to describe long-standing patterns of thinking, behaving,
and feeling. A group of traits which are consistently displayed are
considered to be part of a person’s personality. A person’s mood, for example,
is considered to be a more fleeting expression of one’s overall personality.
Personality comprises traits, attitudes, behaviors, and coping styles which
develop throughout childhood and adolescence. Developmental theorist
Erik Erikson (1902-1981) proposed that personality unfolds over the entire
life cycle according to a predetermined plan. Personality can be thought of
as a relatively consistent style of relating to others and the environment, developing
as a result of genetic and environmental influences. Psychologists
have developed several theories to explain personality development. Austrian
psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) believed that personality
development originates in early childhood. Freud proposed that personality
emerges as a result of unconscious conflicts between unacceptable aggressive
and hedonistic instincts and societal mores. According to Freud, unresolved
unconscious conflicts from childhood later influence personality development.
In contrast to Freud’s psychoanalytic theories about personality,
other researchers focused on specific traits as the building blocks of personality
development. Many classification systems have been developed in an attempt
to organize and categorize personality traits and styles. The Big Five
system proposes that five basic trait dimensions underlie personality structure:
extroversion versus introversion, agreeableness versus disagreeableness,
conscientiousness versus impulsiveness, emotional stability versus neuroticism, and openness to experience versus rigidity. Personality disorders
may reflect extreme variants of these basic personality dimensions.
The personality disorders are a group of psychological disorders characterized
by inflexible and maladaptive patterns of relating to others that result
in impairments in day-to-day functioning. The personality disorders are
reflected by personality traits which are significantly extreme or exaggerated,
making it difficult to establish functional relationships with others. According
to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV-TR
(rev. 4th ed., 2000), the personality disorders are defined by an enduring
pattern of inner experience and behavior which is consistently dysfunctional
and creates impairment in functioning. Symptoms of personality disorders
are usually evident by early adulthood, coinciding with the developmental
period when personality patterns have become established in most
people. The DSM-IV-TR identifies ten major personality disorders: paranoid
personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal personality
disorder, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder,
narcissistic personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, avoidant
personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive
personality disorder. The personality disorders are broken down
into three groups, or clusters, based upon similar symptomatology. 603