[Comments on the diagnostic principles of DSM-III exemplified by the borderline personality disorder]

The first disputes around the DSM-III, which were charged with emotion and cathected by ideologies, are now followed by criticisms based on practical experience with the criteria used in the diagnostic approach of the DSM-III. The present paper is an attempt to show for the area of personality disorders, (and here in particular for borderline personality disorders) that the specific formulation of individual diagnostic questions is a contributory factor to the diagnostic assessment in this field, despite the descriptive approach of the DSM-III. By comparing different item formulations for the same criterion we try to illustrate the problems involved in a purely quantitative registration of characteristics. When criteria, such as identity, interhuman relationship, etc. are concerned, subjective variables will always contribute to the diagnostic assessment.