Personality profiles and the prediction of categorical personality disorders

Personality disorders (PDs) are usually construed as psychiatric categories characterized by a unique configuration of traits and behaviors. To genera te clinical hypotheses from normal personality trait scores, profile agreem ent statistics can be calculated using a prototypical personality profile f or each PD. Multimethod data from 1.909 psychiatric patients in the People' s Republic of China were used to examine the accuracy of such hypotheses in the Interpretive Report of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. Profile agreement indices from both self-reports and spouse ratings were significan tly related to PD symptom scores derived from questionnaires and clinical i nterviews. However, accuracy of diagnostic classification was only modest t o moderate, probably because PDs are not discrete categorical entities. Tog ether with other literature, these data suggest that the current categorica l system should be replaced by a more comprehensive system of personality t raits and personality-related problems.