ABSTRACT
Psychologists and psychiatrists define personality traits as consistent cognitive, emotional and behavioural patterns, which can be defined early in life and are stable over time.
Personality disorders are generally characterized by deeply ingrained, maladaptive and inflexible personality traits, which cause substantial distress or impairment. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10; WHO 1992) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV; APA 1994) have similar general definitions of personality disorder and they are categorized on a separate axis in the multi-axial diagnostic scheme. Table 9.1 lists the DSM-IV criteria for personality disorder.
