Personality Disorders

Personality disorders, or pathological amplifications of aspects of personality, are relatively common mental health conditions when classified together. The DSM-5 identifies three clusters of personality disorders: A (odd or eccentric), B (dramatic or emotional), and C (anxious or fearful). Cluster A disorders include paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders; Cluster B, antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic; and Cluster C, avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is particularly burdensome at the individual and health care system levels and has numerous comorbidities. This chapter overviews personality disorders and physical therapy-specific evidence for interprofessional treatment of patients with personality disorders.