T. Bronisch et W. Mombour, THE MODERN ASSESSMENT OF PERSONALITY-DISORDERS - PART 2 - RELIABILITYAND VALIDITY OF PERSONALITY-DISORDERS, Psychopathology, 31(6), 1998, pp. 293-301
Although both dimensional and categorical approaches to an assessment
of personality disorders (PD) exist, only instruments for a categorica
l approach to the assessment of PD have been developed. The reliabilit
y of the diagnostic assessment of PD could be improved by using questi
onnaires, checklists, and structured interviews. However, a comparison
of structured interviews among themselves and with checklists or self
-rating questionnaires showed only insufficient to satisfactory agreem
ent, Therefore, there are no instruments for the assessment of DSM-III
/DSM-IV and ICD-10 PD that could be clinically and scientifically inte
rchanged. There is an increasing tendency to a dimensional approach to
the assessment of PD. There are two approaches, a dimensional and a c
ategorical one, to the assessment of personality disorders (PD). Chara
cteristics of both approaches will be discussed before proceeding to t
he assessment of PD. The categorical approach is identical to the desc
ription of types given by the authors of classical psychiatry and refe
rred to in part 1 [1]. In modern operationalised diagnostics the types
are described by criteria (= behaviour and symptoms) with the number
of criteria an individual must present in order to receive a diagnosis
that is arbitrarily fixed. Thus, a 'cut-off point' decides whether an
individual receives a diagnosis of PD or not. In the dimensional appr
oach there is no such cut-off point.