psychiatric disorders
Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD)
Diagnosis of Dependent Personality Disorder
Clinical criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed, Text Revision [DSM-5-TR]) For a diagnosis of dependent personality disorder ( Diagnosis reference ), patients must have A persistent, excessive need to be taken of, resulting in submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation This persistent need is shown by the presence of≥5 of the following: Difficulty making daily decisions without an inordinate amount of advice and reassurance from other people A need to have others be responsible for most important aspects of their life Difficulty expressing disagreement with others because they fear loss of support or approval Difficulty starting projects on their own because they are not confident in their judgment and/or abilities (not because they lack motivation or energy) Willingness to go to great lengths (eg, do unpleasant tasks) to obtain support from others Feelings of discomfort or helplessness when they are alone because they fear they cannot take care of themselves An urgent need to establish a new relationship with someone who will provide care and support when a close relationship ends Unrealistic preoccupation with fears of being left to take care of themselves Also, symptoms must have begun by early adulthood. Several other personality disorders are characterized by hypersensitivity to rejection. However, they can be distinguished from dependent personality disorder based on characteristic features, as follows: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) : Avoidant Personality Disorder (AVPD) : Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) : Dependent personality disorder should be distinguished from the dependency that is present in other psychiatric disorders (eg, Overview of Mood Disorders , 1. American Psychiatric Association:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2022, pp 768-771. 