Article Sections

Introduction

Personality disorders cause rigidity in thinking (eg, perception of self, others, and situations), feeling (eg, emotional range and reactivity), and behaving (eg, ability to establish/maintain relationships, impulse control).  Characteristics of personality disorders are present by early adulthood and are generally stable across time and situations (eg, social, occupational, personal), causing significant functional impairment and/or distress.

Epidemiology

The estimated prevalence of personality disorders in the general population is 10%.  Clinical and incarcerated populations have higher prevalence rates.

Types of personality disorders

There are 10 personality disorders grouped into 3 clusters based on shared features:  cluster A (odd, eccentric), cluster B (dramatic, emotional, erratic), and cluster C (anxious, fearful).

Cluster A (odd, eccentric)

Paranoid personality disorder
  • Characteristics:  distrust and suspiciousness of being exploited or deceived by others; unforgiving of slights/insults; preoccupation with doubting the loyalty of others, including spousal/partner fidelity.

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Tables

Table 1