Cluster 'A' in personality disorders category - development and perspective

Background

With the development of psychiatric science the group of Personality Disorders becomes clearly defined and within the various existing classifications a well-defined group stands out, characterized mainly by the cold affect and by the lack of empathy. The historical overview of the Paranoid and the Schizoid Personality Disorders reveals extremely high historical (temporal) stability of their diagnostic criteria. This stability and endurance of the Cluster A raises the question of its' potential freedom from historical and/or cultural contextual effects.

Materials and methods

42 male psychiatric patients, aged 18 to 25, diagnosed with Personality Disorder and Adjustment Disorder, were examined for this study. The participants were evaluated with psychiatric clinical interviews, as well as with semi-structured interview for assessment of personality disorders - International Personality Disorders Examination (IPDE).

Results

The current research confirmed the initial hypothesis that the reliability of the diagnostics criteria for the Cluster A is high, as is the validity of the diagnosis itself. Despite the fact that the sample group was ethnically diverse, the Bulgarian variation of the method did not reveal specific cross-cultural differences between participants from different backgrounds.

Conclusions

The criteria for Cluster A, unlike the criteria for the other types of Personality Disorders, were found to be cultural and historically insensitive.