14c - The Importance of Multiple Sources, Longitudinal Assessment, and Clinical Utility: Author Rejoinder to Commentaries on Methods and Current Issues in Dimensional Assessments of Personality Pathology

Summary

The purpose of this rejoinder is to emphasize several important areas of future research that were mentioned by one or both commentaries. First, the authors discuss issues related to multi-source assessment, such as the importance of further research on informant bias, andargue that the information gleaned from multiple sources is worth the added assessment burden. Second, they underscore the importance of longitudinal assessment both in capturing the treatment-relevant within-person processes through which personality pathology unfolds, as well as tracking therapeutic progress. They assert that a given measure’s ability to reliably and validly measure change over time should be considered when evaluating its clinical utility. Finally, they emphasize the need for greater attention to clinical utility of dimensional PD assessment measures.