|
|
Article: Personality disorders
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Personality disorders
Definition
Long-standing, deeply ingrained patterns of social behavior that are detrimental to those who display them or to others.
Description
Personality disorders constitute a separate diagnostic category (Axis II) in the American Psychiatric Association's
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(
DSM). Unlike the major mental disorders (Axis I), which are characterized by periods of illness and remission, personality disorders are generally ongoing. Often, they first appear in childhood or adolescence and persist throughout a person's lifetime. Aside from their persistence, the other major characteristic of personality disorders is ...