Personality disorders in offenders: Categorical versus dimensional approaches

The present study focused on the consequences of cut-off scores in personal ity disorder diagnoses for their association with criminal behavior. Using ICD-10 personality disorder criteria eliminating offence-related symptoms, we studied the distributions of categorically diagnosed personality disorde rs and of dimensional personality disorder scores in a group of offenders a nd a noncriminal control group. Whereas the dimensional scores of the offen der group differed significantly from those of the control group for all pe rsonality disorders under study, the frequency of categorical diagnoses dif fered significantly for two personality disorders only. Moreover, predictio n of group membership (offenders vs. nonoffenders) from personality disorde r scores was substantially more precise than prediction from categorical di agnoses. It is concluded that a dimensional approach to personality disorde r diagnosis Is not only superior theoretically but also yields more precise information about the specific associations with criminal behavior.