Stability and course of personality disorders: The need to consider comorbidities and continuities between axis I psychiatric disorders and axis II personality disorders

The literature pertaining to the stability and course of personality disord ers is briefly reviewed. Available data suggest that PD diagnoses demonstra te only moderate stability and that-although generally associated with a pl ethora of negative outcomes-they can show improvement over time. This paper highlights the pervasiveness of diagnostic co-occurrence and its implicati ons for continued investigation of the question of PD stability. In additio n to examining the stability land outcome) of PDs, longitudinal studies nee d to consider continuities between diagnoses. The Collaborative Longitudina l Personality Disorder Study (CLPS) is described briefly vis-a-vis some of these major issues.