The assessment of personality disorder: methodological, developmental, and contextual considerations

The reliable and valid assessment of personality disorders (PDs) faces several challenges in different domains. In particular, the variety of methods, settings, and informants relevant for PD assessment raises questions about best practices. Additionally, issues surrounding assessment across the lifespan, including youth and the elderly, further complicate PD assessment. We review these issues here and point toward future directions in PD assessment, with an emphasis on the utility of dimensional PD assessment.