Pearls for Working with People Who Have Personality Disorder Diagnoses.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Personality disorders involve extreme traits causing life difficulties.
• Broad categories include odd/eccentric, dramatic/emotional/erratic, and anxious/fearful types.
• Recognition and management are crucial for primary care physicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current understanding of personality disorder diagnosis and treatment.
• To focus on dramatic/emotional/erratic disorders often seen in clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of current thinking on personality disorders.
• Focus on diagnostic criteria and therapeutic approaches.

Main Results:

• Widespread agreement exists on three broad personality disorder categories.
• Dramatic/emotional/erratic disorders are frequently problematic in clinical settings.

Conclusions:

• Primary care physicians require tools to identify and address personality disorders.
• Effective management strategies are needed for challenging personality traits.