Frequency
The frequency of personality disorders is stated as 6-23%, a certain number of unreported cases is not unlikely due to the difficulty of grasping them. The most common personality disorders include dependent, dissocial, histrionic and borderline personality disorders. The gender distribution is different for the different types of personality disorders.
Cause
The cause for the development of personality disorders is not yet fully understood. Several factors seem to be significant:
- On the one hand, a genetic predisposition for the development of personality disorders has been proven by twin studies, for example.
- Conspicuous features in early childhood development are also used as an explanation, since personality disorders can, under certain aspects, also be interpreted as misguided (conflict) learning processes, which cause the rigid, inflexible reaction pattern to various situations that is typical of the disorder.
- Furthermore, minimal early childhood brain damage or abnormalities in the brain’s messenger substance balance also appear to be possible causes of the disorders.
Symptoms
The symptoms are outlined under the respective disorders. Characteristic of all personality disorders is that it is not so much the presence of certain character traits that is conspicuous, but rather their manifestation and lack of flexibility.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis of a personality disorder requires a thorough psychiatric-psychotherapeutic anamnesis (evaluation). Diagnostic criteria for making a diagnosis of a personality disorder are given in the current classification catalogs of the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association.
Therapy
Even though the therapy of personality disorders is lengthy and requires a high degree of commitment from both patients and therapists, in many cases it is possible to enable patients to adapt well to the demands of daily (professional) life. The success of a therapy is also significantly influenced by the type of disorder and the presence of other (concomitant) disorders such as drug use. Whether personality disorders are completely “curable”, or whether a therapy only leads to an extensive suppression of symptoms, is ultimately unclear.
