Assessment of personality-related levels of functioning: a pilot study of clinical assessment of the DSM-5 level of personality functioning based on a semi-structured interview

TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessment of personality-related levels of functioning

T2 - a pilot study of clinical assessment of the DSM-5 level of personality functioning based on a semi-structured interview

AU - Thylstrup, Birgitte

AU - Simonsen, Sebastian

AU - Nemery, Caroline

AU - Simonsen, Erik

AU - Noll, Jane Fjernestad

AU - Myatt, Mikkel Wanting

AU - Hesse, Morten

PY - 2016/8/25

Y1 - 2016/8/25

N2 - BACKGROUND: The personality disorder categories in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV have been extensively criticized, and there is a growing consensus that personality pathology should be represented dimensionally rather than categorically. The aim of this pilot study was to test the Clinical Assessment of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale, a semi-structured clinical interview, designed to assess the Level of Personality Functioning Scale of the DSM-5 (Section III) by applying strategies similar to what characterizes assessments in clinical practice.METHODS: The inter-rater reliability of the assessment of the four domains and the total impairment in the Level of Personality Functioning Scale were measured in a patient sample that varied in terms of severity and type of pathology. Ratings were done independently by the interviewer and two experts who watched a videotaped Clinical Assessment of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale interview.RESULTS: Inter-rater reliability coefficients varied between domains and were not sufficient for clinical practice, but may support the use of the interview to assess the dimensions of personality functioning for research purposes.CONCLUSIONS: While designed to measure the Level of Personality Functioning Scale with a high degree of similarity to clinical practice, the Clinical Assessment of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale had weak reliabilities and a rating based on a single interview should not be considered a stand-alone assessment of areas of functioning for a given patient.

AB - BACKGROUND: The personality disorder categories in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV have been extensively criticized, and there is a growing consensus that personality pathology should be represented dimensionally rather than categorically. The aim of this pilot study was to test the Clinical Assessment of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale, a semi-structured clinical interview, designed to assess the Level of Personality Functioning Scale of the DSM-5 (Section III) by applying strategies similar to what characterizes assessments in clinical practice.METHODS: The inter-rater reliability of the assessment of the four domains and the total impairment in the Level of Personality Functioning Scale were measured in a patient sample that varied in terms of severity and type of pathology. Ratings were done independently by the interviewer and two experts who watched a videotaped Clinical Assessment of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale interview.RESULTS: Inter-rater reliability coefficients varied between domains and were not sufficient for clinical practice, but may support the use of the interview to assess the dimensions of personality functioning for research purposes.CONCLUSIONS: While designed to measure the Level of Personality Functioning Scale with a high degree of similarity to clinical practice, the Clinical Assessment of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale had weak reliabilities and a rating based on a single interview should not be considered a stand-alone assessment of areas of functioning for a given patient.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Interview, Psychological

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Personality

KW - Personality Assessment

KW - Personality Disorders

KW - Pilot Projects

KW - Reproducibility of Results

KW - Video Recording

KW - Young Adult

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1186/s12888-016-1011-6

DO - 10.1186/s12888-016-1011-6

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27562651

SN - 1471-244X

VL - 16

JO - B M C Psychiatry

JF - B M C Psychiatry

M1 - 298

ER -