Chapter 4 - Assessment of Personality Disorders in Older Adults

Abstract

This chapter reviews current definitions of personality disorders, alternative dimensional approaches to their classification, and assessment procedures that are typically employed in this field. It addresses fundamental problems with the assessment of personality disorders and highlights the specific challenges that arise when later life is considered. Personality disorders that are manifest in later life have important implications for families and society as well as for the affected individuals. Efforts to understand the interaction between personality pathology and the challenges of later life are complicated by problems with the current classification system for personality disorders as well as the relative absence of measurement instruments designed specifically for and validated with older adults. The most widely recognized approach to the assessment of personality disorders, in both research and clinical practice, involves the use of interviews. Another popular approach to the assessment of personality disorders involves the administration of self-report questionnaires. Rather than focusing on diagnostic scales, with an emphasis on somewhat arbitrary thresholds and a categorical view regarding the presence or absence of specific personality disorders, some self-report instruments place greater emphasis on personality dimensions. Because realistic, accurate information about a client's behavior may not be obtained from the clients themselves, it is often useful to collect information from other sources. Family members, friends, and other acquaintances may provide an important perspective.