Publisher's Synopsis
Recent years have seen an increase in research on personality disorders. One probable reason has been the DSM-III-R's creation of a special Axis (Axis II) for categorising personality disorders. However, many clinicians would agree that there are some serious methodological and theoretical problems in using Axis II as a diagnostic tool.;The "Five-Factor Model" of personality (FFM) has already been productively applied to the study of normal personality. In this edited volume of contributions by researchers and clinicians in the field, the FFM is proposed as an alternative, conceptually useful framework for understanding personality disorders.;This book aims to provide a comprehensive examination of both diagnostic and treatment issues, and is divided into five major sections: The first covers conceptual background, and includes a history of the FFM, as well as a key chapter that provides five-factor model translations of the DSM-III-R and proposed DSM-IV personality disorders.;The second section reviews empirical research which supports the use of FFM in working with patients with personality disorders. Section three investigates the applicability of the FFM to various patient populations and gives several illustrative case studies. These include substance abusers, psychopaths, sex offenders, borderline personalities, narcissism, bulimia nervosa, and mixed personality disorder.;Section four looks at treatment issues. These chapters show how a patient's FFM personality profile can help clinicians set appropriate treatment goals for individual needs. The final section presents the considerations of several authors on personality disorder, based upon the findings offered here. A concluding chapter addresses issues remaining to be resolved.
