Research on personality disorders in the Nordic countries, 1982-1998: A selective review

It is nearly 20 years since DSM-III was published, with its Axis II that de fined 12 different personality disorders. In the Nordic countries, this bec ame an impetus for an increased clinical interest in personality problems, and several clinical research groups very soon started to explore the relia bility, validity and clinical importance of the concept of personality diso rders. The present paper reviews close to 100 papers about personality diso rders that have been published by Nordic researchers in the period 1982-199 8. The aim is partly to summarise, for a clinical audience, the most clinic ally relevant findings that have been published, and partly to give to the Nordic and international research society a comprehensive update of our per sonality disorder research. Hopefully, this review will influence clinical practice to some degree, and also stimulate more research on personality di sorders.