Personality disorders in childhood and adolescence

The diagnosis of a personality disorder is defined by the fact that personality traits are formed by early childhood, but German clinicians very rarely diagnose children and adolescents with personality disorders. Opponents of diagnosing personality disorders in childhood want to avoid labeling and refer to the developmental aspect of the personality. Supporters argue that children and adolescents already possess a describable personality and the developmental process continues into adulthood. By recognizing the pathological personality tendencies early enough allows an early therapy which can prevent an acute progression. The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SCID-II) is applicable for use with adolescents. This empirical study indicated that one-third of the adolescents investigated were still diagnosed with a personality disorder 1 year after the primary assessment. However, the present categorizing diagnosis system proved to be insensible for childhood and adolescence. This supports the notion that dimensional systems are needed to diagnose personality traits in childhood in adolescence.