Validation of the German versions of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders – Module II and III (SCID-5-AMPD-II, SCID-5-AMPD-III)

The aim of this study is to validate two novel diagnostic interviews for assessing personality pathology according to the Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). For the diagnosis of a personality disorder (PD), the AMPD provides two main diagnostic criteria: Criterion A (personality functioning), and Criterion B (maladaptive personality traits). To assign a PD diagnosis, at least moderate impairment in personality functioning (Criterion A) and at least one maladaptive trait facet must be endorsed (Criterion B). These diagnostic criteria have been incorporated into a diagnostic interview, namely the Structured Clinical Interview for the Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders (SCID-5-AMPD; First et al., 2018), and are assessed individually through different interview modules. While Criterion A is assessed by the SCID-5-AMPD – Module I and its German version has already been validated (Ohse et al., 2023), studies on the psychometric properties of the German version of the SCID-5-AMPD – Module II (SCID-AMPD-II; First et al., 2018), assessing maladaptive personality traits, are still missing. Finally, to convey the innovative dimensional diagnostic approach of the AMPD into currently used PD categories, the third module of the SCID-5-AMPD interview (SCID-5-AMPD-III; First et al., 2018) combines the assessment of PD-specific impairment in personality functioning with distinct maladaptive traits. Thus, it allows the assignment of specific PDs according to the current categorical approach. This study has two main goals: First, the German version of the SCID-5-AMPD-II (Hörz-Sagstetter et al., 2025) will be validated. The SCID-5-AMPD-II operationalizes Criterion B of the AMPD model by assessing 25 maladaptive personality trait facets. These 25 trait facets are assigned to the five domains of negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism. Well-validated questionnaires are already available for Criterion B assessment (e.g., PID-5; Krueger et al., 2012; German version by Zimmermann et al., 2014). The clinical interview SCID-5-AMPD-II (First et al., 2018) has been translated into German (Hörz-Sagstetter et al. 2025) and was recently published. As a first goal, this study aims to assess the psychometric properties for the German version of the SCID-5-AMPD-II by assessing its interrater reliability and convergent validity. As the second goal of the study, the German version of the SCID-5-AMPD-III (Hörz-Sagstetter et al., 2025) will be validated. This interview allows for categorical PD diagnosis according to the AMPD by assessing specific impairments of personality functioning (Criterion A) as well as the specific maladaptive personality traits (Criterion B). For example, a diagnosis of avoidant PD requires that at least two of the four domains of Criterion A are impaired and at least three of the following four trait facets are elevated: Anxiousness, Withdrawal, Anhedonia, and Intimacy Avoidance. The presence of Anxiousness is a necessary criterion. Based on the specific profiles presented in Criteria A and B, a total of six specific PDs can be diagnosed (Antisocial, Borderline, Narcissistic, Schizotypal, Avoidant and Obsessive-Compulsive PD). The assignment of the criteria sets to the six specific PDs was based on an empirical analysis in order to ensure maximum continuity with the PD model in DSM-IV and DSM-5 Section II (Morey & Skodol, 2013). In addition, a diagnosis of Personality Disorder – Trait Specified can be given based on a combination of impairments in personality functioning (Criterion A) and maladaptive personality traits (Criterion B) in this third clinical interview. Apart from a first validation study of the Italian translation (Somma et al., 2019), no further psychometric data on SCID-5-AMPD-III are yet available. Therefore, the German version (Hörz-Sagstetter et al. 2025) will be validated.