ABSTRACT
Until the official publication of the DSM-III (American Psychiatric Association, 1980), distinctions between what are termed clinical syndromes (Axis I) and personality disorders (Axis II) were not made, although it had long been recognized as a useful distinction. The DSM-III made explicit the practice of differentiating longstanding, deep-seated patterns of behavior, affect, cognition, and interpersonal style (personality) from more transitory, time-limited, and obvious deviations from characteristic behaviors (clinical syndromes). This approach reflects an evolution in the understanding of psychopathological processes, namely, that the picture a patient presents will depend on his/her characteristic, longstanding perceptual and behavioral tendencies, as well as the more transitory stressors of everyday life.
