The following criteria is necessary for a personality disorder diagnosis: (A) enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior which deviates markedly from the culture with two or more manifestations (cognitions, affectivity, interpersonal functioning, impulse control); (B) pattern in inflexible and pervasive across situations; (C) pattern leads to clinically significant distress of impaired functioning; (D) pattern is stable and onset begins by early adulthood; (E) pattern is not due to another mental disorder; (F) pattern is not due to substances or medical conditions (APA, 1994, p. 633).
Vignette 1: Criteria for Personality Disorder are reported for A, B, E, and F, however more information is needed regarding early onset and distress/impaired functioning. If further assessment meets these criteria, the diagnosis is AXIS II 301.50 Histrionic Personality Disorder. The following criteria for this diagnosis is met (need five symptoms): pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking across situations; with discomfort in situations if not the center of attention, interactions that are characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior, expression of emotions that is shallow and shifting, physical appearance that is used to draw attention, self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion is demonstrated, and relationships are viewed to be more intimate than they are. Again early onset criteria must be met or diagnosis is AXIS II V71.09 No diagnosis, histrionic tendencies (p. 657).
Vignette 2: All criteria for Personality Disorder are reported. The diagnosis is AXIS II 301.0 Paranoid Personality Disorder. The following criteria for this diagnosis is met (need four symptoms): pervasive pattern of distrust and suspiciousness, early onset, across situations; with suspicion without basis of others exploiting, harming, or deceiving him, preoccupation with unjust...