Personality Disorders: Model for Conceptual Approach and Classification: Part I: General Model

Despite extensive literature, a solid conceptual understanding and classification of Personality Disorders (PDs) have not been achieved. In Part I of this work, we present data suggesting that one core deficit in personality [similar to Kernberg’s description of borderline personality organization], generates a fairly large number of clinically discrete PDs. We argue that the borderline level of functioning represents a common dimension extending across most types of severe personality dysfunction currently described as PDs, whereas syndromes classified as individual PDs in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—III Revised (DSM III-R) are categorical maladaptive behavioral types related orthogonally to the common borderline dimension. In Part II ofthe article, we will present our proposal for the classification of PDs.