The relationship of social phobia to avoidant personality disorder: a proposal to reclassify avoidant personality disorder based on clinical empirical findings

in the DSM system social phobia and avoidant personality have been conceptu alized as independent entities. Each had separate, if overlapping diagnosti c criteria. The specific inclusion and exclusion criteria provided by DSM a llowed empirical research to guide future revisions. This review evaluates the empirical literature and evolution of the concepts of these diagnoses f rom DSM-III to DSM-IIR to DSM-IV. The empirical evidence leads us to the co nclusion that there is no dividing line between social phobia and avoidant personality disorder. In addition to their being no dividing line diagnosti cally between the disorders, there appears to be no separation of the two b y treatment techniques. This raises interesting questions about how we diff erentiate Axis I from Axis II disorders. Suggestions for revisions of the s ocial phobia and avoidant personality disorder categories are given. (C) 20 00 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.