The structure of personality disorders: comparing the DSM-IV-TR Axis II classification with the five-factor model...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychometrics
• Personality Disorders

Background:

• Empirical validity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) Axis II classification has been questioned.
• Previous meta-analyses suggest a four-factor structure aligned with the five-factor model of personality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the empirical validity of a dimensional four-factor model against the categorical DSM-IV-TR three-cluster structure for personality disorders.
• To assess the generalizability of the best-fitting model across clinical and general population samples.

Main Methods:

• Structural equation modeling was used to fit both the dimensional four-factor model and the categorical DSM three-cluster structure to data from the Assessment of DSM-IV Personality Disorders (ADP-IV) questionnaire.
• Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was employed to test model invariance across different samples.

Main Results:

• The dimensional four-factor model demonstrated a significantly better fit to the data compared to the DSM-IV-TR three-cluster structure.
• The results supported existing dimensional proposals and showed strong invariance, indicating generalizability across clinical and general population samples.

Conclusions:

• A dimensional four-factor model provides a more empirically supported and generalizable framework for understanding personality disorders than the current DSM-IV-TR classification.
• These findings have implications for the conceptualization and assessment of personality disorders.