ABSTRACT
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, IV-text revision (DSM-IV-TR; APA, 2000), an essential feature of schizoid personality disorder (SPD) is a pervasive pattern of social detachment and restricted expression of emotions. These individuals appear to lack a desire for physical intimacy or sexual experiences. They spend time alone and select activities that do not include interaction with others. They may have particular difficulty expressing anger, even when directly provoked. They often react passively to adverse situations and may not respond appropriately to important life events. These individuals may experience brief psychotic episodes in response to stress. The most frequent co-occurring personality disorders with SPD are schizotypal, paranoid, and avoidant personality disorders (AuPD). Whereas the DSM-IV-TR states that SPD is diagnosed with slightly more frequency in males, the 20012002 National Epidemiologic Survey (Grant, et al., 2004) states that there was no sex difference in the risk of SPD.
