Personality disorders

Personality disorders are a group of conditions marked by enduring patterns of thinking, perceiving, and relating that disrupt long-term functioning and are not confined to isolated episodes. The DSM–IV–TR identifies 10 specific disorders grouped into three clusters: A (paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal), B (antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic), and C (avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive). These categories stem from various early 20th-century theories but don't capture all maladaptive personality traits. Diagnosing them can be challenging, and individuals often meet criteria for multiple disorders.

Adapted from the APA Dictionary of Psychology

Resources from APA

graphic of a person who's head is a jumble of lines

Treating patients with borderline personality disorder

Psychotherapy improves functioning, reduces symptoms, and helps lower self-harm and depression

Understanding paranoia and extreme mistrust

Daniel Freeman, PhD, discusses his research on the links between paranoia and other forms of mistrust and anxiety

Treatment and recovery from serious mental illness

Kim Mueser, PhD, talks about the progress psychology has made in treating serious mental illness

Patrick W. Corrigan, PhD, editor of Stigma and Health

Editor Spotlight: Patrick W. Corrigan, PhD

Corrigan, editor-in-chief of Stigma and Health, discusses the need for stigma research that bridges disciplines, leading to the discovery of novel concepts and methods.

More resources about personality disorders