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Prevalence and classification of personality disorders

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Frequency of personality disorders in the general population is reported to be between 4-12% (1)

  • it has been stated that over half of patients in general psychiatric samples have a coexisting personality disorder
  • personality disorders are commonly associated with other mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and substance misuse
  • it is also associated with higher use of medical services, suicidal behaviour and completed suicide, and excess medical morbidity and mortality, especially in relation to cardiovascular disease. (1)

Classification:

  • personality disorders are generally classified by using categories described in either of the two major classification systems: ICD 10 and DSM V
  • in DSM V, perhaps the most widely used system, personality disorders are placed on Axis II whilst other psychiatric conditions (such as anxiety, depression or schizophrenia) are placed on Axis I
    • both diagnostic classifications (DSM V and ICD-10) describe ten specific personality disorders
    • the DSM V groups them into three clusters, based on descriptive similarities
      • cluster A includes paranoid, schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders (clients are likely to appear odd or eccentric)
      • cluster B includes antisocial, borderline, histrionic and narcissistic personality disorders (clients often appear dramatic, emotional or erratic)
      • cluster C includes avoidant, dependant and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders (clients are likely to appear anxious or fearful) (1)

Reference:


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