Alternative Model for DSM-5 Personality Disorders

What is it about?

Personality disorders (PDs) are mental disorders that can be seriously disabling, but their presence is not always recognized. They PDs are dimensional in nature, and they can be thought of as extreme versions of otherwise ordinary personality traits or styles. Concerns about flaws in the traditional categorical diagnostic system for the PDs in DSM-IV led to the development of an Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD), available in Section III of DSM-5 and DSM-5-TR as an optional diagnostic strategy. The new model involves assessing the level of impairment in functioning in one's sense of self and one's relationships with others, and identifying the presence of pathological personality traits

Featured Image

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Although the AMPD represents a step forward to reflect the dimensional nature of the PDs, many leaders in the field expressed concerns that it is too complex to be readily utilized by clinicians. In fact, it less complex than the DSM-IV categorical system and has conceptual clarity and a generic template for the PDs. Published studies now reveal that clinicians prefer it to the traditional system, information that should allay the initial apprehension about the AMPD and should encourage clinicians to become familiar with it and utilize it in their clinical work.