Differentiating normal and disordered personality using the General Assessment of Personality Disorder (GAPD)

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Personality Disorders

Background:

• Distinguishing personality disorder from normal personality variations is crucial for accurate diagnosis.
• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) proposes a dimensional classification for personality disorders.
• The DSM-5 definition focuses on chronic self/identity and interpersonal pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the DSM-5's general personality disorder diagnostic criteria.
• To assess the efficacy of the General Assessment of Personality Disorder (GAPD) questionnaire in differentiating personality disorders.
• To determine if the GAPD can distinguish personality disorders from other mental disorders.

Main Methods:

• A self-report questionnaire, the General Assessment of Personality Disorder (GAPD), was administered to 149 psychiatric patients.
• Patients were categorized into personality disordered and non-personality disordered groups using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders (SCID-II).
• Statistical analysis was performed to assess the agreement between the GAPD and SCID-II diagnoses.

Main Results:

• The GAPD achieved an 82% hit rate in correctly identifying patients with personality disorders.
• The predictive model demonstrated good accuracy.
• A substantial agreement was found between diagnoses made by the SCID-II interview and the GAPD questionnaire.

Conclusions:

• The General Assessment of Personality Disorder (GAPD) effectively predicts general personality disorder.
• These findings provide empirical support for the DSM-5's proposed general diagnostic criteria for personality disorder.
• The GAPD shows promise as a reliable tool for assessing personality disorders in clinical settings.