Personality Disorder News and Research

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Personality disorders, formerly referred to as character disorders, are a class of personality types and behaviors that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines as "an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the culture of the individual who exhibits it".

Mental health intervention reduces aggression and reoffending among violent offenders

Prisoners convicted of serious violent offences were found to be less aggressive and less likely to reoffend following a mental health intervention which could save money and reduce harm to society, according to new research led by King's College London.

22 Jul 2026

Study finds no psychiatric risk from prenatal sedatives

A large South Korean study published by The BMJ today finds no increased risk of psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and autism, in children whose mothers used sedative drugs (benzodiazepines or Z-hypnotics) during pregnancy.

29 Apr 2026

Brain network predicts how quickly we adapt to social behavior

Humans often adapt their behavior to that of other people with lightning speed. A new study by the University of Zurich reveals what brain networks govern social mentalization and adaptation, making it possible to predict how flexibly one person reacts to others.

9 Mar 2026

Researchers highlight blind spots in dual diagnosis of schizophrenia and personality disorder

A new study by a research team at Université de Montréal highlights a critical lack of knowledge about the cognitive profiles of people living with both schizophrenia and a personality disorder.

3 Dec 2025

Psychodynamic research sheds light on the roots of personality disorders

How can we explain the erratic, reckless, or even aggressive behavior of certain people in the public spotlight? An international research team consisting of members from Freie Universität Berlin, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, and University Psychiatric Clinics Basel has investigated the specific psychodynamic mechanisms constituting the distinguishing features of personality disorders.

8 Oct 2025

Dementia risk rises sharply with multiple psychiatric disorders

The odds of developing dementia are strongly linked to the number of co-existing mental health disorders, rising from twice as high for one disorder to 11 times as high for four or more, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Mental Health.

9 Sep 2025

Highly sensitive individuals more prone to mental health challenges

The meta-analysis of 33 studies, the first of its kind, looked at the relationship between sensitivity and common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

18 Aug 2025

Impulsivity shapes diet and gut bacteria in healthy adults, study finds

Impulsivity in healthy adults is linked to unhealthy dietary choices, such as higher intake of alcohol and sugary drinks and lower fiber consumption. These dietary behaviors, in turn, are associated with changes in specific gut bacterial genera, highlighting an indirect pathway between personality traits and the gut microbiome.

4 Aug 2025

Transforming OCD treatment through research and innovation

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) impacts approximately 2% of the global population, often preventing individuals from living life to their full potential.

2 Jul 2025

John Oldham redefines the landscape of personality disorders

In a comprehensive Genomic Press Interview published today in Brain Medicine, John M. Oldham, MD, MS, one of psychiatry's most influential architects of personality disorder theory, traces his remarkable journey from frontier medicine roots in Oklahoma to revolutionizing how mental health professionals understand and diagnose personality pathology.

11 Jun 2025

New virtual reality system aims to revolutionize psychiatric diagnosis

Researchers have developed a virtual reality-based system that shows promise in improving the differentiation between common mental health conditions, potentially paving the way for earlier and more personalized treatment.

31 Mar 2025

Nearly half of depression patients struggle with treatment resistance

Almost half of patients diagnosed with depression classify as being 'treatment-resistant' as new research suggests that many don't respond to multiple antidepressant options.

21 Mar 2025

New treatment cuts aggression in male offenders with antisocial personality disorder

A new psychological therapy designed by a team of UCL-led researchers has been found to reduce rates of violence and aggression among male offenders with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).

18 Feb 2025

Study offers new insight into how nature and nurture shape aggression in males

Like humans, mice will compete over territory and mates, and show increased confidence in their fighting skills the more they win.

24 Jan 2025

Addressing loneliness in borderline personality disorder treatment

Loneliness is a key driver in the maintenance of borderline personality disorder (BPD), Harvard researchers argue. Thus, many patients cite increased social connection as a primary treatment goal.

6 Jan 2025

Specialized program offers hope for mothers struggling with borderline personality disorder

Raising children is no easy task, and parents are consistently more likely to report experiencing overwhelming stress compared to other adults.

10 Dec 2024

Exploring the intergenerational impact of adversity on mind-body health

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) is hosting a free webinar, "Intergenerational Effects of Adversity on Mind-Body Health: Pathways Through the Gut-Brain Axis" on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at 2:00 pm ET. The presenter, Bridget Laura Callaghan, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). At UCLA, Dr. Callaghan directs the Brain & Body Lab in the Department of Psychology and also heads the Mental Disorders and Pain research theme at the Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center.

8 Nov 2024

High impulsivity linked to increased stress response during boring tasks

Research at the University of Portsmouth has explored the relationship between high impulsivity and boredom, in an effort to find out what drives rash and sometimes unhealthy decisions.

26 Sep 2024

Study reveals challenges of distinguishing autism from BPD

Conducted through interpretive phenomenological analysis, the study involved one-to-one, semi-structured interviews with 10 participants. Each participant recounted unnoticed autistic traits from childhood and described the pervasive impact of a BPD misdiagnosis. The study highlights the challenges of distinguishing between autism and BPD, especially among autistic women, who often face misdiagnosis.

14 Sep 2024

EEG technology marks 100 years with promising future innovations

One hundred years after the human brain's electrical activity was first recorded, experts are celebrating the legacy of its discovery and sharing their predictions and priorities for its future.

23 Aug 2024