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    This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by CrossRef.
    Ozen, Murat Eren Orum, Mehmet Hamdi and Kalenderoglu, Aysun 2018. Hasta-Hekim İlişkisinde Zor Olan Nedir? Hasta? Hekim? Ya da Aralarındaki İlişki? Bir Vaka-Kontrol Çalışması. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, p. 1064.
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    Newton-Howes, Giles Mulder, Roger Ellis, Pete M. Boden, Joseph M. and Joyce, Peter 2018. Predictive Utility of Personality Disorder in Depression: Comparison of Outcomes and Taxonomic Approach. Journal of Personality Disorders, Vol. 32, Issue. 4, p. 513.
    Patronek, Gary 2017. Shelter Medicine for Veterinarians and Staff. p. 431.
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    Asherson, Philip and Cormand, Bru 2016. The genetics of aggression: Where are we now?. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, Vol. 171, Issue. 5, p. 559.
    Anthony, Rebecca Meakings, Sarah Doughty, Julie Ottaway, Heather Holland, Sally and Shelton, Katherine H. 2016. Factors affecting adoption in Wales: Predictors of variation in time between entry to care and adoptive placement. Children and Youth Services Review, Vol. 67, Issue. , p. 184.
    Hadi, Fazal Dato, Serena Carpi, Francesco M. Prontera, Paolo Crucianelli, Francesca Renda, Federica Passarino, Giuseppe and Napolioni, Valerio 2015. A genetic-demographic approach reveals a gender-specific association of SLC6A3/DAT1 40 bp-VNTR with life-expectancy. Biogerontology, Vol. 16, Issue. 3, p. 365.
    Warrender, D. 2015. Staff nurse perceptions of the impact of mentalization-based therapy skills training when working with borderline personality disorder in acute mental health: a qualitative study. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Vol. 22, Issue. 8, p. 623.
    Hassan, Lamiece Edge, Dawn Senior, Jane and Shaw, Jenny 2015. Accounting for Psychotropic Medication Changes in Prisons. Qualitative Health Research, Vol. 25, Issue. 7, p. 954.
    Smith, Carl R. Katsiyannis, Antonis Losinski, Mickey and Ryan, Joseph B. 2015. Eligibility for Students With Emotional or Behavioral Disorders. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, Vol. 25, Issue. 4, p. 252.
    Troisi, Alfonso 2015. The evolutionary diagnosis of mental disorder. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, Vol. 6, Issue. 3, p. 323.
    Tyrer, Peter 2015. Personality dysfunction is the cause of recurrent non-cognitive mental disorder: A testable hypothesis. Personality and Mental Health, Vol. 9, Issue. 1, p. 1.
    Rayner, Kelly Wood, Harry Beail, Nigel and Nagra, Maninder Kaur 2015. Intellectual disability, personality disorder and offending: a systematic review. Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, Vol. 9, Issue. 2, p. 50.
    Oltmanns, Thomas F. Rodrigues, Merlyn M. Weinstein, Yana and Gleason, Marci E. J. 2014. Prevalence of Personality Disorders at Midlife in a Community Sample: Disorders and Symptoms Reflected in Interview, Self, and Informant Reports. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, Vol. 36, Issue. 2, p. 177.
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The distinction between personality disorder and mental illness

  • R. E. Kendell (a1)
Abstract
Background

Proposals by the UK Government for preventive detention of people with ‘dangerous severe personality disorders' highlight the unresolved issue of whether personality disorders should be regarded as mental illnesses.

Aims

To clarify the issue by examining the concepts of psychopathy and personality disorder, the attitudes of contemporary British psychiatrists to personality disorders, and the meaning of the terms ‘mental illness'and ‘mental disorder’.

Method

The literature on personality disorder is assessed in the context of four contrasting concepts of illness or disease.

Results

Whichever of the four concepts or definitions is chosen, it is impossible to conclude with confidence that personality disorders are, or are not, mental illnesses; there are ambiguities in the definitions and basic information about personality disorders is lacking.

Conclusions

The historical reasons for regarding personality disorders as fundamentally different from mental illnesses are being undermined by both clinical and genetic evidence. Effective treatments for personality disorders would probably have a decisive influence on psychiatrists' attitudes.

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Copyright
COPYRIGHT: © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2002 
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The British Journal of Psychiatry
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  • EISSN: 1472-1465
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  • Cited by 80
  • Cited by
    Crossref Citations
    Crossref logo
    This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by CrossRef.
    Ozen, Murat Eren Orum, Mehmet Hamdi and Kalenderoglu, Aysun 2018. Hasta-Hekim İlişkisinde Zor Olan Nedir? Hasta? Hekim? Ya da Aralarındaki İlişki? Bir Vaka-Kontrol Çalışması. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, p. 1064.
    Williams, Emma M. and Rose, John 2018. Nonpharmacological treatment for individuals with intellectual disability and “personality disorder”. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities,
    Shaw, Elizabeth 2018. Retributivism and the Moral Enhancement of Criminals Through Brain Interventions. Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement, Vol. 83, Issue. , p. 251.
    Newton-Howes, Giles Mulder, Roger Ellis, Pete M. Boden, Joseph M. and Joyce, Peter 2018. Predictive Utility of Personality Disorder in Depression: Comparison of Outcomes and Taxonomic Approach. Journal of Personality Disorders, Vol. 32, Issue. 4, p. 513.
    Patronek, Gary 2017. Shelter Medicine for Veterinarians and Staff. p. 431.
    Satel, Sally L. and Lilienfeld, Scott O. 2017. If Addiction is not Best Conceptualized a Brain Disease, then What Kind of Disease is it?. Neuroethics, Vol. 10, Issue. 1, p. 19.
    Ng, Lillian Lywan 2017. Thinking on writing a critical essay. Australasian Psychiatry, Vol. 25, Issue. 2, p. 187.
    Roberts, Louise Meakings, Sarah Forrester, Donald Smith, Audra and Shelton, Katherine 2017. Care-leavers and their children placed for adoption. Children and Youth Services Review, Vol. 79, Issue. , p. 355.
    Wassef, Andréanne 2017. Questionnements et malaises d’une future psychiatre. Santé mentale au Québec, Vol. 42, Issue. 1, p. 445.
    Pilgrim, David 2017. Incorrigible conduct and incorrigible diagnoses: the case of personality disorder. Social Theory & Health, Vol. 15, Issue. 4, p. 388.
    Asherson, Philip and Cormand, Bru 2016. The genetics of aggression: Where are we now?. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, Vol. 171, Issue. 5, p. 559.
    Anthony, Rebecca Meakings, Sarah Doughty, Julie Ottaway, Heather Holland, Sally and Shelton, Katherine H. 2016. Factors affecting adoption in Wales: Predictors of variation in time between entry to care and adoptive placement. Children and Youth Services Review, Vol. 67, Issue. , p. 184.
    Hadi, Fazal Dato, Serena Carpi, Francesco M. Prontera, Paolo Crucianelli, Francesca Renda, Federica Passarino, Giuseppe and Napolioni, Valerio 2015. A genetic-demographic approach reveals a gender-specific association of SLC6A3/DAT1 40 bp-VNTR with life-expectancy. Biogerontology, Vol. 16, Issue. 3, p. 365.
    Warrender, D. 2015. Staff nurse perceptions of the impact of mentalization-based therapy skills training when working with borderline personality disorder in acute mental health: a qualitative study. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Vol. 22, Issue. 8, p. 623.
    Hassan, Lamiece Edge, Dawn Senior, Jane and Shaw, Jenny 2015. Accounting for Psychotropic Medication Changes in Prisons. Qualitative Health Research, Vol. 25, Issue. 7, p. 954.
    Smith, Carl R. Katsiyannis, Antonis Losinski, Mickey and Ryan, Joseph B. 2015. Eligibility for Students With Emotional or Behavioral Disorders. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, Vol. 25, Issue. 4, p. 252.
    Troisi, Alfonso 2015. The evolutionary diagnosis of mental disorder. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, Vol. 6, Issue. 3, p. 323.
    Tyrer, Peter 2015. Personality dysfunction is the cause of recurrent non-cognitive mental disorder: A testable hypothesis. Personality and Mental Health, Vol. 9, Issue. 1, p. 1.
    Rayner, Kelly Wood, Harry Beail, Nigel and Nagra, Maninder Kaur 2015. Intellectual disability, personality disorder and offending: a systematic review. Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, Vol. 9, Issue. 2, p. 50.
    Oltmanns, Thomas F. Rodrigues, Merlyn M. Weinstein, Yana and Gleason, Marci E. J. 2014. Prevalence of Personality Disorders at Midlife in a Community Sample: Disorders and Symptoms Reflected in Interview, Self, and Informant Reports. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, Vol. 36, Issue. 2, p. 177.
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