Psyfield

    简 繁

    Topics

    All terms About

    Personality disorder

    人格障碍

    Clinical diagnosis
    Also called
    personality disorders, cluster A personality disorders, cluster B personality disorders, cluster C personality disorders

    What is a personality disorder?

    A personality disorder is a lasting problem (for example, two years or more) with the self, such as identity, self-worth or self-direction, or with relationships, shown in rigid or poorly regulated patterns of thinking, emotion and behavior across many situations and causing marked distress or impairment.[1]

    DSM-5 main text: ten types, three clusters

    ICD-11: one diagnosis, graded, with traits

    Schematic, not a self-test. Bar chart data: Winsper et al. (2020).

    Select a box or the chart for details.
    Top: the core both systems share. Left: the ten types and three clusters in DSM-5’s main text. Right: ICD-11’s approach, one diagnosis graded mild, moderate or severe, plus trait domains. These parts are schematic. Below, the bar chart shows real data from a global meta-analysis (Winsper et al. 2020): prevalence among community adults with 95% confidence intervals. Select a part for details. Select a part for details
    Top: the core both systems share. Left: the ten types and three clusters in DSM-5’s main text. Right: ICD-11’s approach, one diagnosis graded mild, moderate or severe, plus trait domains. These parts are schematic. Below, the bar chart shows real data from a global meta-analysis (Winsper et al. 2020): prevalence among community adults with 95% confidence intervals. Select a part for details. Save as image (PNG)

    This figure image is licensed CC BY 4.0: reuse it with credit and a link back to this page. How to reuse

    Embed this figure

    Copy the HTML below; the image and the credit both link back to this page.

    Key points

    • DSM-5’s main text keeps ten types in three clusters: A (odd or eccentric), B (dramatic or erratic) and C (anxious or fearful). The clusters’ clinical usefulness is not established.[2]
    • ICD-11 drops the types: it rates whether a personality disorder is present and how severe, then adds five trait domains and an optional borderline pattern. DSM-5’s Section III model is similar.[1][4]
    • A global meta-analysis of community studies estimated that 7.8% of adults have a personality disorder: cluster C 5.0%, A 3.8% and B 2.8%, with wide variation between studies.[3]
    • Psychotherapy is the main treatment; medication is used only in some cases, for symptoms such as depression or anxiety.[2] Research centers on borderline and antisocial types; the rest are little studied.[3]

    An example

    At every job, Jay feels colleagues are plotting against him and takes jokes as attacks. He keeps falling out with bosses and friends, has had five jobs in a few years and is unhappy about it. Whether this is a lasting pattern across situations, or has another explanation, is for a psychiatrist or mental health professional to assess.[1]

    Misreadings and limits

    A personality disorder is not a flaw of character; genes and environment both contribute.[2] It need not be lifelong: some people no longer meet the criteria by middle age, and behavior seen in only one relationship does not qualify.[1] This page is not for self-diagnosis or labeling others. If emotional or relationship problems keep disrupting life, a psychiatrist or mental health professional can help.

    If you need help now

    If you’re struggling to cope or having thoughts of harming yourself:

    If you’re in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.

    Psyfield is not a crisis service. Numbers checked October 2026.

    Sources

    1. 1 World Health Organization (2025). 6D10 Personality disorder; 6D11 Prominent personality traits or patterns. ICD-11 for mortality and morbidity statistics (2025-01 release). View source
    2. 2 Zimmerman, M. (2023). Overview of personality disorders. MSD Manual Professional Version (full review September 2023, last updated January 2026). View source
    3. 3 Winsper, C., Bilgin, A., Thompson, A., Marwaha, S., Chanen, A. M., Singh, S. P., Wang, A., & Furtado, V. (2020). The prevalence of personality disorders in the community: A global systematic review and meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 216(2), 69–78. doi:10.1192/bjp.2019.166
    4. 4 Bach, B., & First, M. B. (2018). Application of the ICD-11 classification of personality disorders. BMC Psychiatry, 18, 351. doi:10.1186/s12888-018-1908-3

    Last checked against sources: October 28, 2026