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A different approach to diagnosing personality disorders is currently being studied called the Dimensional Approach that may become the standard method in coming years. Individuals whose traits significantly impair normal functions are given a diagnosis called Personality Disorder Trait Specified (PDTS) (APA 2013,2012). This is a complex diagnosis whereby clinicians identify and list the problematic traits and rate the severity of impairment caused by each.
The proposed approach is a group of five problematic traits that include: negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition and psychoticism.
Negative Affectivity
Negative affectivity is displayed by people who have frequent and intense negative emotions, particularly one or more of the following traits:
- Emotional liability, such as unstable emotions, anxiousness and separation insecurity;
- Perseveration, such as repetition of certain behaviors despite previous repeated failures;
- Submissiveness;
- Hostility;
- Depressivity;
- Suspiciousness, or strong emotional reactions, such as over reactions to arousing situations.
Detachment
Detachment is a tendency to withdraw from other people or social activities, particularly one or more of the following traits:
- Restrictied emotional reactivity, such as having little reaction to arousing situations;
- Withdrawal;
- Anhedonia – the inability to feel pleasure or take an interest in acitivities; or
- Intimacy avoidance.
Antagonism
Antagonism is displayed in a way that puts people at odds or in conflict with others, and exhibits one or more of the following traits:
- Hostility;
- Manipulativeness;
- Deceitfulness;
- Grandiosity;
- Attention Seeking; or
- Callousness.
Disinhibition
Disinhibition is impusively displayed without reflection on possible future consequences and exhibits one or more of the following traits:
- Irresponsibility;
- Impulsivity;
- Distractibility;
- Risk Taking; or
- Imperfection and Disorganization.
Psychoticism
Psychoticism is displayed as unusual beliefs and bizarre experiences and exhibits one or more of the following traits:
- Eccentricity;
- Cognitive and Perceptual Dysregulation, such as odd thought processes or sensory experiences.
In Conclusion
If a person is significantly impaired by any of the five trait groups or just one of the 25 traits that comprise those 5 groups he/she would qualify for a diagnosis of PDTS. Each dysfunctioin would be scored using a 4-point scale ranging from zero (barely descriptive) to four (very descriptive).
Given the problems posed by misdiagnosed personality disorders this dimensional approach is being studied for future general use, or in combination with the Big Five Theory of personality disorders of supertraits: openness to experiences, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and extroversion.
This report is not a diagnosis. We hope this information can guide you toward improving your life.
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