Stigma Experiences of Patients With Problematic Personality Traits: An Investigation With the PID-5

Research has consistently shown that mental disorders are associated with higher levels of experienced stigmatization than those encountered for physical illness. However, few studies have systematically evaluated internalized stigma and discrimination for patients with maladaptive and socially undesirable personality traits. With the emerging DSM-5 dimensional model (i.e., Section III Alternative Model for Personality Disorders; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), patients are assessed across a wide spectrum of pathological personality traits reflecting specific or trait-specified personality disorders. This study investigated experiences of stigma in relationship to DSM-5 pathological personality traits among 100 psychiatric inpatients via the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5; Krueger, Derringer, Markon, Watson, & Skodol, 2012). As predicted, more extensive personality pathology was associated with higher reported stigmatization. In particular, elevations on the PID-5 Detachment domain predicted seven times greater odds of patients experiencing higher levels of stigma. Such relationships may help to contextualize the negative impact of personality pathology and stigmatization on treatment adherence and serve as a potential target for therapeutic intervention. In addition, these findings illustrate the importance of assessing for both problematic personality traits and perceived stigma in tailoring effective treatment.