Dependent personality disorder

Dependent personality disorder
Classification and external resources
Specialty	Psychiatry
ICD-10	F60.7
ICD-9-CM	301.6
MedlinePlus	000941
Patient UK	Dependent personality disorder
MeSH	D003859

Dependent personality disorder (DPD), formerly known as asthenic personality disorder, is a personality disorder that is characterized by a pervasive psychological dependence on other people. This personality disorder is a long-term (chronic) condition in which people depend on others to meet their emotional and physical needs, with only a minority achieving normal levels of independence.

The difference between a 'dependent personality' and a 'dependent personality disorder' is somewhat subjective, which makes diagnosis sensitive to cultural influences such as gender role expectations.

A study in 2012 estimated the heritability of DPD to be between 55% and 72%.

Epidemiology

Dependent personality disorder occurs in about 0.6% of the general population. The disorder is diagnosed more often in females than males; however, research suggests that this is largely due to behavioural differences in interviews and self-reporting rather than a difference in prevalence between the sexes. A 2004 twin study suggests a heritability of 0.81 for developing dependent personality disorder. Because of this, there is significant evidence that this disorder runs in families. Children and adolescents with a history of anxiety disorders and physical illnesses are more susceptible to acquiring this disorder.

American Psychiatric Association

The DSM-IV-TR contains a Dependent Personality Disorder diagnosis. It refers to a pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of which leads to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation. This begins by early adulthood and can present in a variety of contexts.

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization's ICD-10 lists dependent personality disorder as F60.7 Dependent personality disorder:

It is characterized by at least 3 of the following:

1. encouraging or allowing others to make most of one's important life decisions;
2. subordination of one's own needs to those of others on whom one is dependent, and undue compliance with their wishes;
3. unwillingness to make even reasonable demands on the people one depends on;
4. feeling uncomfortable or helpless when alone, because of exaggerated fears of inability to care for oneself;
5. preoccupation with fears of being abandoned by a person with whom one has a close relationship, and of being left to care for oneself;
6. limited capacity to make everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others.

Associated features may include perceiving oneself as helpless, incompetent, and lacking stamina.

Includes:

• asthenic, inadequate, passive, and self-defeating personality (disorder)

It is a requirement of ICD-10 that a diagnosis of any specific personality disorder also satisfies a set of general personality disorder criteria.

Millon's subtypes

Psychologist Theodore Millon identified five adult subtypes of dependent personality disorder. Any individual dependent may exhibit none or one of the following:

Subtype	Description	Personality Traits
Disquieted	Including avoidant features	Restlessly perturbed; disconcerted and fretful; feels dread and foreboding; apprehensively vulnerable to abandonment; lonely unless near supportive figures.
Selfless	Including masochistic features	Merges with and immersed into another; is engulfed, enshrouded, absorbed, incorporated, willingly giving up own identity; becomes one with or an extension of another.
Immature	Variant of “pure” pattern	Unsophisticated, half-grown, unversed, childlike; undeveloped, inexperienced, gullible, and unformed; incapable of assuming adult responsibilities.
Accommodating	Including histrionic features	Gracious, neighborly, eager, benevolent, compliant, obliging, agreeable; denies disturbing feelings; adopts submissive and inferior role well.
Ineffectual	Including schizoid features	Unproductive, gainless, incompetent, useless, meritless; seeks untroubled life; refuses to deal with difficulties; untroubled by shortcomings.

Differential diagnosis

The following conditions commonly coexist (comorbid) with dependent personality disorder:

• mood disorders
• anxiety disorders
• adjustment disorder
• borderline personality disorder
• avoidant personality disorder
• histrionic personality disorder

See also

• Codependency
• Suggestibility

General:

• DSM-IV codes (personality disorders)
• ICD-10 codes (personality disorders)

External links

• J. Christopher Perry, M.P.H., M.D., 2005 (Dependent Personality Disorder)
• Diagnostic Features, Complications, Prevalence, Associated Laboratory Findings
• MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Dependent personality disorder