scholarly journals The distinction between personality disorder and mental illness

2002 ◽  
Vol 180 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Kendell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Preventive Detention ◽  
Genetic Evidence ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Unresolved Issue ◽  
Basic Information ◽  
The Uk

BackgroundProposals by the UK Government for preventive detention of people with ‘dangerous severe personality disorders' highlight the unresolved issue of whether personality disorders should be regarded as mental illnesses.AimsTo clarify the issue by examining the concepts of psychopathy and personality disorder, the attitudes of contemporary British psychiatrists to personality disorders, and the meaning of the terms ‘mental illness'and ‘mental disorder’.MethodThe literature on personality disorder is assessed in the context of four contrasting concepts of illness or disease.ResultsWhichever of the four concepts or definitions is chosen, it is impossible to conclude with confidence that personality disorders are, or are not, mental illnesses; there are ambiguities in the definitions and basic information about personality disorders is lacking.ConclusionsThe historical reasons for regarding personality disorders as fundamentally different from mental illnesses are being undermined by both clinical and genetic evidence. Effective treatments for personality disorders would probably have a decisive influence on psychiatrists' attitudes.

scholarly journals Psychiatric, demographic and personality characteristics of elderly sex offenders

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. FAZEL ◽  
T. HOPE ◽  
I. O’DONNELL ◽  
R. JACOBY
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Dsm Iv

Background. Psychiatric disorders are purported to play a role in the aetiology of violent crime, but evidence for their role in sexual offending is less clear. The authors investigated the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and personality disorders in elderly incarcerated sex offenders compared with elderly non-sex offenders.Method. One hundred and one sex offenders and 102 non-sex offenders aged over 59 years were interviewed using standardized semi-structured interviews for psychiatric illness (the Geriatric Mental State) and the personality disorder (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV personality disorders). Data on demographic, offence and victim characteristics were collected.Results. Six per cent of the elderly sex offenders had a psychotic illness, 7% a DSM-IV major depressive episode and 33% a personality disorder; and 1% had dementia. These prevalence figures were not different from the elderly non-sex offenders interviewed in this study. Differences emerged at the level of personality traits with sex offenders having more schizoid, obsessive–compulsive, and avoidant traits, and fewer antisocial traits compared with non-sex offenders.Conclusions. Elderly sex offenders and non-sex-offenders have similar prevalence rates of mental illness. However, elderly sex offenders have increased schizoid, obsessive–compulsive, and avoidant personality traits, supporting the view that sex offending in the elderly is associated more with personality factors than mental illness or organic brain disease.

Mental illness versus mental disorder: Arguments and forensic implications

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Ludwig Kröber
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Theoretical Concept ◽  
Legal Responsibility ◽  
Full Responsibility ◽  
Forensic Implications

Modern psychiatry uses a theoretical concept of ‘disorder’: it describes various impaired functions without distinguishing pathological disorders from non-pathological disorders, or even from disorders similar to an illness. Of course, this usage eliminates neither illnesses nor the subjective experience of being ill, but it has implications for forensic psychiatry and for the assessment of a person’s legal responsibility. Having schizophrenic delusions constitutes a categorically different state from having only wishful illusions or a vivid imagination. In the context of medicine and psychiatry, we certainly encounter stages that signal fundamental differences. These differences are easily detected when assessing psychotic disorders or similar states, but a lot of differences also arise when assessing perpetrators with personality disorders or simply antisocial behavior. Where, in these states, are the borders that demarcate full responsibility from substantially reduced social responsibility?

Mental health services for single homeless people

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Philip Timms ◽  
Jenny Drife
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Substance Misuse ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Psychiatric Services ◽  
Background Information ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Uk

SUMMARY Homelessness has long been associated with high rates of psychosis, alcohol and substance misuse, and personality disorder. However, psychiatric services in the UK have only recently engaged actively with homeless people. This article provides some background information about homelessness and mental illness and describes the elements of inclusion health and some of the models of service for homeless people that have been established over the past 30 years.

Mind Matters: a psychoeducation programme for individuals with intellectual disabilities and co-morbid diagnoses of mental disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Ashworth ◽  
Krista Jansen ◽  
Lydia Bullock ◽  
Paul Mooney
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Members

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a feasibility study into the development and pilot of a psychoeducational group for people with intellectual disability and co-morbid mental disorder (including mental illness and personality disorder) within forensic settings. Design/methodology/approach “Mind Matters”, a psychoeducational programme for people with an intellectual disability and co-morbid mental disorders is a group based programme in a medium secure hospital, adapted and developed to be suitable for people with intellectual disability therapist multidisciplinary approach was key to its development. An open group on a 16-bedded ward for individuals with mild to moderate intellectual disability and co-morbid mental illness was delivered over a six-week period. Findings The group was positively received in pilot by participants and members of the clinical teams. Attendance and engagement of participants were key measures of the success of the programme. In addition to the apparent increased social skills and motivation to engage with future psychological intervention. Practical implications The authors believe that this approach benefitted both the group members and staff on ward, reinforcing strategies for maintaining positive mental health. It also stimulated engagement, discussion about mental disorders including mental illness, personality disorder and intellectual disabilities. Originality/value This paper shows how a psychoeducational approach to mental disorder and mental health in individuals with an intellectual disability is possible, beneficial and well received.

scholarly journals Mental health services for adults with learning disabilities

2004 ◽  
Vol 184 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Bouras ◽  
Geraldine Holt
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Mental Retardation ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Community Care ◽  
Mental Handicap ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities ◽  
The Uk

Services for people with learning disabilities have been transformed since the late 1960s by the move from institutional to community care. (Learning disabilities is the term currently used in the UK in preference to mental retardation, developmental disabilities and mental handicap.) Important changes include the progress towards integration, participation, inclusion and choice for people with learning disabilities, which have occurred in the context of the broader civil and human rights movements. It is time to examine the services delivered to people with learning disabilities and comorbid psychiatric disorders (mental illness, personality disorders, behavioural problems with aggression) and the evidence for their effectiveness.

scholarly journals Mental health morbidity among people subject to immigration detention in the UK: a feasibility study

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 628-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Sen ◽  
J. Arugnanaseelan ◽  
E. Connell ◽  
C. Katona ◽  
A. A. Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Psychiatric Research ◽  
Foreign National ◽  
Immigration Detention ◽  
The Uk

Aims.The UK has one of the largest systems of immigration detention in Europe.. Those detained include asylum-seekers and foreign national prisoners, groups with a higher prevalence of mental health vulnerabilities compared with the general population. In light of little published research on the mental health status of detainees in immigration removal centres (IRCs), the primary aim of this study was to explore whether it was feasible to conduct psychiatric research in such a setting. A secondary aim was to compare the mental health of those seeking asylum with the rest of the detainees.Methods.Cross-sectional study with simple random sampling followed by opportunistic sampling. Exclusion criteria included inadequate knowledge of English and European Union nationality. Six validated tools were used to screen for mental health disorders including developmental disorders like Personality Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability, as well as for needs assessment. These were the MINI v6, SAPAS, AQ-10, ASRS, LDSQ and CANFOR. Demographic data were obtained using a participant demographic sheet. Researchers were trained in the use of the screening battery and inter-rater reliability assessed by joint ratings.Results.A total of 101 subjects were interviewed. Overall response rate was 39%. The most prevalent screened mental disorder was depression (52.5%), followed by personality disorder (34.7%) and post-traumatic stress disorder (20.8%). 21.8% were at moderate to high suicidal risk. 14.9 and 13.9% screened positive for ASD and ADHD, respectively. The greatest unmet needs were in the areas of intimate relationships (76.2%), psychological distress (72.3%) and sexual expression (71.3%). Overall presence of mental disorder was comparable with levels found in prisons. The numbers in each group were too small to carry out any further analysis.Conclusion.It is feasible to undertake a psychiatric morbidity survey in an IRC. Limitations of the study include potential selection bias, use of screening tools, use of single-site study, high refusal rates, the lack of interpreters and lack of women and children in study sample. Future studies should involve the in-reach team to recruit participants and should be run by a steering group consisting of clinicians from the IRC as well as academics.

On Becoming Ill: An Exploration of the Concept of “Transition” to a Mental Disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S509-S510
Author(s):  
B. Moura
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Longitudinal Models ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Models Of Disease

IntroductionAs a general problem in nosology, the moment when one becomes ill may be hard to define. In Psychiatry, the boundaries of disease may be more difficult to establish. In the last decade, we’ve been observing a growing interest in early diagnosis in this field, and the concept of “transition” to a mental illness became an important topic of discussion with implications in clinical practice.ObjectiveTo review different author's models of evolution of symptoms and transition to mental illness and discuss their advantages and limitations in the actual context of Psychiatry research and clinical practice.AimTo increase understanding on the different paradigms of becoming ill and their relevance to present and future psychiatric practice.MethodsNon-systematic review of literature devoted to the creation of models that describe the establishment of a mental disorder.ResultsOne of the first accounts of becoming mentally ill was developed by K. Jaspers within a phenomenological life-history analysis. Nonetheless, a cross-sectional approach to diagnosis has dominated Psychiatry for most of the time. With the advent of early intervention studies, longitudinal models of disease have been emphasized. The concept of a transition to disease was then operationalized but also highly criticized. Recently, McGorry proposed a staging model for psychiatric disorders in continuum with the non-clinical population. Finally, a dynamic systems approach to diagnosis in Psychiatry will be discussed.ConclusionDriven by research in early phases of mental illnesses, current models of disease propose a longitudinal approach that emphasizes the complex and non-linear course of symptom clusters.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Principles of managing patients with personality disorder

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie E. Davison
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Everyday Clinical Practice ◽  
Clinical Problems

The management of individuals with personality disorder is one of the most challenging and sometimes controversial areas of psychiatry. This paper describes the principles involved in identifying the clinical problems and formulating a management plan for patients with personality disorder in everyday clinical practice. It demonstrates that the principles of assessing and managing personality disorders and the clinical skills required are no different from those of treating any other chronic mental disorder.

scholarly journals Cues for different diagnostic patterns of interpersonal violence in a psychiatric sample: an observational study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalila Talevi ◽  
Alberto Collazzoni ◽  
Alessandro Rossi ◽  
Paolo Stratta ◽  
Monica Mazza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mood Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Violent Behaviors ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Background. Interpersonal violence has increased as a health concern especially in the psychiatry practice over the last decades; nevertheless, most patients with stable mental illness do not present an increased risk of violence and a mental disorder is not a necessary or sufficient cause of violent behaviors. People with mental illness endorse more often a number of risk factors for violence that could confound this association, such as young age and male gender. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of age, gender, and diagnosis on reported levels of interpersonal violence in a sample of people with severe mental illnesses. Methods. The sample was composed of 160 inpatients: 73 with psychosis, 53 with mood disorder and 34 with personality disorder. All patients enrolled in the study were assessed for experiences of victimization and perpetration of interpersonal violence using the Karolinska Interpersonal Violence Scale interview. Demographic variables were also collected. Results. Violence negatively correlated with age. Compared to males, females were exposed to higher degree of violence (for both victimizations in childhood and adulthood), whereas males were more involved in the perpetration of violence (only for perpetration in childhood). Among diagnoses, personality disorders are associated with higher levels of interpersonal violence. An interaction effect of gender and diagnosis was also observed for expression of violence in adulthood. Distinct patterns of interpersonal violence did emerge for the diagnostic entities with mood disorder showing a victimization pattern, personality disorders a perpetration pattern and psychoses a less defined pattern. Conclusions. The main finding is that psychoses, mood disorders and personality disorders have different patterns of violent experiences when combined with age and gender. This study offers a step towards a better understanding of the extent to which gender and age could affect violent behaviors. Moreover, study findings may increase the comprehension of the reason why some mental disorders, compared to others, are more associated with the risk of victimization or perpetration of violence. These patterns could have pathophysiological or pathoplastic meaning addressing clinical and diagnostic trajectories interacting with other intervening risk factors.

Personality problems and disorders

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Burns ◽  
Mike Firn
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Dimensional Approach ◽  
Outreach Workers ◽  
Dsm V ◽  
Icd 10

This chapter deals with the controversial issue of personality disorder, whether these are meaningful diagnoses and, if so, how they affect management. The classification is entirely pragmatic: the definitions and classification in both ICD-10 and DSM-V are outlined along with proposals to abandon categories in favour of a dimensional approach. The issue of treatability is explored, but we conclude that ignoring personality and personality disorders is not a viable alternative for outreach workers. Most of the chapter deals with the management of dissocial personality disorder (usually in men) and borderline personality disorder (usually in women). Specific psychotherapies are not dealt with here; the focus is on how to use team work to manage individuals with severe mental illness and disorders of personality.

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