Recent Developments in the Clinical Assessment of Personality Disorders

Each of the latest editions of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has given special attention to the diagnosis of personality disorders. However, the assessment of personality disorders is among the most problematic and controversial of the mental disorders. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the major issues in the assessment of personality disorders, and to provide suggestions for their resolution. Issues that are covered include the differentiation of personality disorders from other mental disorders, from other personality disorders, and from normal personality functioning. We also discuss alternative instruments for the assessment of personality disorders, focusing in particular on various self-report inventories and semistructured interviews.