How to Diagnose Personality Disorders

The term personality disorders covers at least 10 types of mental illnesses as defined by the American Psychological Association. These disorders involve repetitive patterns of behavior considered to be outside of societal norms. A properly qualified mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist, is required for a proper diagnosis of a personality disorder. Read on to learn more about how to diagnose personality disorders.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Mental health professional
• DSM-IV manual

Diagnose a Personality Disorder

1. Know the specific diagnostic criteria used by the American Psychiatric Institute to determine if an individual is suffering from a personality disorder. Personality disorders affect the cognitive ability of individuals to see themselves and others in a realistic light, the ability to express an appropriate emotional response to events, the ability to maintain normal interpersonal relationships and to exhibit control of impulses.
2. Consult with the DSM-IV, the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual, to understand the symptoms and treatment options for each of the 10 types of personality disorders.
3. Diagnose a personality disorder by seeing if the behavior in question is inflexible over a long period of time, and if it covers a wide range of different behaviors exhibited by the individual. While most personality disorders do not become noticeable until adulthood, many of the repetitive or inflexible behaviors start to appear in adolescence or occasionally even earlier.
4. Determine if an individual's behaviors are affecting his ability to function normally in society, including the workplace and in family relationships. A personality disorder may force the individual to become isolated and alone due to the inability to maintain and develop interpersonal relationships.
5. Find out if the behaviors in question are related to biological conditions before you diagnose a personality disorder. Drug abuse or a head injury, for example, can often cause symptoms that may be incorrectly interpreted as a personality disorder. A qualified mental health professional should also evaluate whether a particular personality disorder is a component of a much more serious mental illness or psychosis.
6. Identify any "fixed fantasies," which may be the easiest way to diagnose a personality disorder. A fixed fantasy is a set of beliefs that have no basis in reality, but are believed to be true by the individual. These often take the form of excessive delusions or superstitions that generate an entire belief system.

Tips & Warnings

• There is often a fine line between eccentricity and a genuine personality disorder. A correct diagnosis should only be performed by a qualified, licensed mental health professional.