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".

Sméagol, a 587 year old, hobbit-like male of no fixed abode had issues

The mental health of Tolkien's character Gollum has long been a mystery to Lord of the Rings fans, who have argued the nature of Gollum's ‘mental illness' on over 1300 websites –did he have schizophrenia or was he suffering from multiple personality disorder? UCL scientists now diagnose the famous character in a paper published in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ).

21 Dec 2004

Psychiatrically ill and nicotine-dependent individuals consume 70 percent of all cigarettes smoked in the United States

Psychiatrically ill and nicotine-dependent individuals consume approximately 70 percent of all cigarettes smoked in the United States, according to an article in the November issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry.

1 Nov 2004

Personality disorder symptoms can change with time

Personality disorder symptoms are supposed to be stable, enduring, and persistent across the lifespan, however researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York, and Harvard report evidence that such disabling psychiatric conditions are flexible and appreciable change over time is possible.

4 Oct 2004

Estimated 30.8 million American adults meet standard diagnostic criteria for at least one personality disorder

An estimated 30.8 million American adults (14.8 percent) meet standard diagnostic criteria for at least one personality disorder as defined in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), according to the results of the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC).

3 Aug 2004

Having a good time can strengthen different centres in the brain and help it grow healthy brain cells

Dr Ian Reid, professor of mental health at the University of Aberdeen, told delegates that for many years psychiatrists believed that poor mental health was just caused by imbalances in various brain chemicals.

10 Jul 2004

Perfectionism bad for your health

York University psychology professor Gordon Flett says that perfectionists are prone to health problems because they are under constant stress.

2 Jun 2004

Compulsory community treatment orders (CTOs) alone do not reduce admissions to psychiatric hospital

Compulsory community treatment orders (CTOs) alone do not reduce admissions to psychiatric hospital, according to an important new study from Australia, published in the May issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.

27 Apr 2004

Public Health Advisory for medical professionals with patients on anti-depression medication

On Monday, March 22, 2004 the Food and Drug Administration issued a Public Health Advisory for medical professionals to monitor for signs of suicidal ideation in individuals who have recently started taking anti-depression medication or have had a recent change in dosage, especially for children who are taking these medications. Antidepressant medications involved in this warning include: Prozac (Fluoxetine), Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Celexa, Lexapro, Wellbutrin, Effexor,, Serzone, and Remeron.

25 Apr 2004