Personality assessment in DSM-5

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was published in May 2013 and features (in Section III) a new model for the diagnosis of personality disorders. The aim of this paper is to introduce this model to a broader German-speaking readership. The article begins by explaining why a new model seems necessary. Secondly, the different components of the new DSM-5 model are presented, the theoretical and empirical background is explained and it is shown how the model works using a clinical case example. Thirdly, several advantages of the new model as compared to the DSM-IV diagnostic categories (which will be retained in DSM-5 Section II) are discussed. Finally, the article highlights some open questions and problems that require further conceptual and empirical research.