Personality Disorder Diagnoses in ICD-11: Transforming Conceptualisations and Practice

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Clinical Diagnosis

Background:

• Traditional personality disorder classification relied on historical prototypes, lacking a scientific basis in personality theory.
• Existing categorical systems were complex for non-specialist settings, requiring extensive symptom knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the novel ICD-11 classification structure for personality disorders.
• To detail the severity levels and trait domain specifiers within the new system.

Main Methods:

• The article describes the ICD-11's framework for personality disorders.
• Case studies are presented to illustrate the practical application of the classification.

Main Results:

• The ICD-11 adopts a dimensional perspective on personality disturbances, while retaining categorical decisions for diagnosis and severity (mild, moderate, severe).
• Five trait domain specifiers (negative affectivity, detachment, dissociality, disinhibition, anankastia) are introduced, connecting to the established Big 5 personality traits.

Conclusions:

• The success of the ICD-11 hinges on clinician and researcher adoption for conceptualizing and assessing personality disturbances.
• Utilizing the new classification in treatment outcome research is crucial for its validation and integration.