With its addition to the DSM-3 in 1980 (textbook, p. 329), the category of personality disorders is a relatively new field of study in psychology. As a result, there is a considerable amount of discrepancy and controversy over its classification and diagnostic criteria. The current discrete DSM-5 Model for personality disorders identifies individuals as either having a personality disorder or not having the disorder, leaving no room in between these two categories despite one’s varied and unique personality traits. However, there is an alternative DSM-5 Model for personality disorders, which is a dimensional model that assigns numerical values from 0 to 3 based on how an individual’s personality functions on their own as well as in relation to others, as well as their pathological personality traits (DSM-5 Alternative to Personality Disorders Model video), taking into account the variability among
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With there being more than three disorders in each category, some of which share similar personality traits and behaviors, this leads to the likelihood that patients will receive incorrect and/or multiple disorder diagnoses due to overlapping qualities (textbook, p. 329 & lecture 11/21/17). For example, a person that meets the criteria for borderline personality disorder might also meet the criteria for avoidant disorder due to their difficulty with interpersonal relationships and insecure views of themselves. This shows how a dimensional diagnostic approach would be useful because a clinician would be able to view how a person would score on a continuum, since it is not likely that all individuals with impulsive tendencies, self-esteem and relationship issues would be considered to have abnormal personalities (as they might be categorized by the discrete
With there being more than three disorders in each category, some of which share similar personality traits and behaviors, this leads to the likelihood that patients will receive incorrect and/or multiple disorder diagnoses due to overlapping qualities (textbook, p. 329 & lecture 11/21/17). For example, a person that meets the criteria for borderline personality disorder might also meet the criteria for avoidant disorder due to their difficulty with interpersonal relationships and insecure views of themselves. This shows how a dimensional diagnostic approach would be useful because a clinician would be able to view how a person would score on a continuum, since it is not likely that all individuals with impulsive tendencies, self-esteem and relationship issues would be considered to have abnormal personalities (as they might be categorized by the discrete