Justification for separating schizotypal and borderline personality disorders. 1979

R L Spitzer, and J Endicott

Siever and Gunderson (1979) have questioned the decision to separate Schizotypal Personality Disorder from Borderline Personality Disorder in DSM-III. The justification for this separation rests not on genetic evidence, but rather on the relative independence of the behavioral characteristics of two dimensions that up to now have both been referred to with the appellation "borderline." We believe that this separation provides the tools with which investigators may usefully study the interaction of genetic and environmental factors as they relate to personality and the major psychiatric disorders. The benefits of this separation are already apparent in that research investigators are now using two terms to describe different phenomena, when previously they were using the single term borderline. Proposed diagnostic criteria for Schizotypal Personality Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder are appended.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007175 Impulsive Behavior An act performed without delay, reflection, voluntary direction or obvious control in response to a stimulus. Impulsivity,Behavior, Impulsive,Behaviors, Impulsive,Impulsive Behaviors,Impulsivities
D007398 Interpersonal Relations The reciprocal interaction of two or more persons. Social Relationships,Husband-Wife Communication,Partner Communication,Communication, Husband-Wife,Communication, Partner,Husband Wife Communication,Husband-Wife Communications,Interpersonal Relation,Partner Communications,Relation, Interpersonal,Relationship, Social,Social Relationship
D010554 Personality Disorders A major deviation from normal patterns of behavior. Avoidant Personality Disorder,Impulse-Ridden Personality,Inadequate Personality,Avoidant Personality Disorders,Impulse Ridden Personality,Personality Disorder,Personality Disorder, Avoidant,Personality Disorders, Avoidant,Personality, Impulse-Ridden,Personality, Inadequate
D011594 Psychometrics Assessment of psychological variables by the application of mathematical procedures. Psychometric
D002908 Chronic Disease Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation, or care (Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed). For epidemiological studies chronic disease often includes HEART DISEASES; STROKE; CANCER; and diabetes (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 2). Chronic Condition,Chronic Illness,Chronically Ill,Chronic Conditions,Chronic Diseases,Chronic Illnesses,Condition, Chronic,Disease, Chronic,Illness, Chronic
D003937 Diagnosis, Differential Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures. Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D005163 Factor Analysis, Statistical A set of statistical methods for analyzing the correlations among several variables in order to estimate the number of fundamental dimensions that underlie the observed data and to describe and measure those dimensions. It is used frequently in the development of scoring systems for rating scales and questionnaires. Analysis, Factor,Analysis, Statistical Factor,Factor Analysis,Statistical Factor Analysis,Analyses, Factor,Analyses, Statistical Factor,Factor Analyses,Factor Analyses, Statistical,Statistical Factor Analyses
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012569 Schizotypal Personality Disorder A personality disorder in which there are oddities of thought (magical thinking, paranoid ideation, suspiciousness), perception (illusions, depersonalization), speech (digressive, vague, overelaborate), and behavior (inappropriate affect in social interactions, frequently social isolation) that are not severe enough to characterize schizophrenia. Incipient Schizophrenia,Latent Schizophrenia,Personality Disorder, Schizotypal,Pseudoneurotic Schizophrenia,Pseudopsychopathic Schizophrenia,Schizophrenia, Borderline,Schizophrenia, Latent,Schizophrenia, Pseudoneurotic,Borderline Schizophrenia,Borderline Schizophrenias,Disorder, Schizotypal Personality,Disorders, Schizotypal Personality,Incipient Schizophrenias,Latent Schizophrenias,Personality Disorders, Schizotypal,Pseudoneurotic Schizophrenias,Pseudopsychopathic Schizophrenias,Schizophrenia, Incipient,Schizophrenia, Pseudopsychopathic,Schizophrenias, Borderline,Schizophrenias, Incipient,Schizophrenias, Latent,Schizophrenias, Pseudoneurotic,Schizophrenias, Pseudopsychopathic,Schizotypal Personality Disorders
D012917 Social Adjustment Adaptation of the person to the social environment. Adjustment may take place by adapting the self to the environment or by changing the environment. (From Campbell, Psychiatric Dictionary, 1996). Adjustment, Social,Adjustments, Social,Social Adjustments

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