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Hysterical Personality Disorder

The Process of Diagnosis in Clinical and Experimental Settings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

D. J. Thompson*
Affiliation:
High Royds Hospital, Menston and Malham House Day Hospital, 25 Hyde Terrace, Leeds LS2 9LN, Honorary Clinical Lecturer, University of Leeds
D. Goldberg
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Withington Hospital, Manchester
*
Correspondence

Abstract

A study of the case notes of 52 patients with a diagnosis of hysterical personality disorder showed that 27 had no recorded features of that condition, but were frequently described as aggressive, uncooperative, or attention-seeking. Although 60% were recorded as depressed, only 17% received antidepressant treatment. In an experimental study, the core traits of the disorder were found to have a low inter-rater reliability. Two patients, who had received hospital diagnoses of hysterical personality disorder, were shown to display behaviour that caused psychiatrists to make a diagnosis on wholly inadequate information.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1987 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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