Personality and Psychopathology

A compilation of the conclusions of over 30 internationally recognized experts, who each carefully examine the link between personality traits and psychopathology. New findings have clarified the fundamental importance of personality in the development of psychopathology. It has for some time been noted that patients with clinical syndromes like depression frequently display personality disorders as well. More recently, studies have linked schizophrenia, bulimia, major depressive disorder, and social phobia to schizotypal, depressive, borderline, and avoidant personality disorders. Personality and Psychopathology supersedes any prior volume on the connection between psychopathology and personality traits. This reference compiles the most recent findings from more than 30 internationally recognized experts. It analyzes the association between personality and psychopathology from several interlocking perspectives—descriptive, developmental, etiological, and therapeutic—concluding that the association is strong and important, no matter what angle it is considered from. The book is divided into sections on clinical assessment, development and neurobiological and psychosocial causes, and treatment. Unlike similar works that focus predominantly on personality disorders, this text also deals with general psychopathology and its development, causes, and treatment. It successfully tackles five crucial questions: What is the role of personality in psychopathology? What is normal personality structure and development? What is a personality disorder? What causes good and bad personality development? What are the recommended treatments and the outcome of personality disorders? Complete with illustrative charts, this all-inclusive resource provides invaluable information on the link between personality and psychopathology. This volume compiles the conclusions of more than 30 international contributors who each examined the link between personality traits and psychopathology. In light of findings which highlighted the importance of personality in the development and expression of psychopathology, the reference examines several interlocking perspectives: descriptive, developmental, aetiological and therapeutic. It tackles: a description of the frequency and patterns of overlap between personality and psychopathology; the structure and stability of normal personality traits across the lifespan and their relation to psychopathology; an analysis of personality disorders from three different approaches; the causes of individual differences in personality and psychopathology from genetic, psychosocial and neurobiological perspectives; and the role of personality in the treatment of psychopathology.