Personality disorders: issues in assessment

The multiaxial system adopted in DSM-III (American Psychiatric Association 1980) has fostered much research in the area of the assessment of personality disorders. This paper will address issues and controversies that have an impact on the assessment of personality. Topics to be discussed in this paper include (1) a review of and comparison between categorical and dimensional approaches to personality classification; (2) discussion of differing viewpoints regarding the most appropriate way to conceptualize Axis II diagnoses, with emphasis on their relationship with Axis I and II conditions; and (4) a review of between Axis I and II conditions; and (4) a review of different assessment instruments.