Personality disorders
Our specialist psychologists provide assessments and therapeutic services for people with personality disorders in education settings, homes, and the community.
Our ‘personality’ is a combination of the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that make us unique. This generally stays constant throughout our lives, though we may appear to change depending on the setting we are in or the people we are with.
What are personality disorders?
Personality disorders refers to a type of mental health difficulty where an individual’s beliefs, attitudes and behaviours cause problems within their life and may interfere with the way an individual thinks about themselves and others. People with personality disorders may feel like they cannot trust other people, leading to feelings of abandonment and causing them to isolate themselves. Feelings of mistrust can make it difficult for children and young people with personality disorders to maintain relationships or hold down a job. Personality disorders can present from a young age and carry on into adulthood, though are not usually diagnosed until after teenage years. Children, and some teenagers, that present with symptoms similar to personality disorder may be given a diagnosis of conduct disorder.
Can children have personality disorders?
This is a question that has sparked many debates. Some experts argue that professionals should avoid diagnosing personality disorders in children and young people below the age of 18, since their personality may not be fully formed. Though, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) contains a provision that allows for some personality disorders to be diagnosed before the age of 18. This provision allows for the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in children under 13, though this is rare.
There are many different types of personality disorder, that can be separated into three categories. These are:
Suspicious, odd, eccentric:
- Paranoid personality disorder
- Schizoid personality disorder
- Schizotypal personality disorder
- Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)
Dramatic, emotional, erratic:
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Histrionic personality disorder
- Narcissistic personality disorder
Anxious, fearful:
- Avoidant (or anxious) personality disorder
- Dependent personality disorder
- Obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCDP)
Personality disorders may arise from having a disordered or chaotic home life, limited support at home or school, and experiencing neglect, trauma or loss. There may also be a genetic component to the susceptibility of personality disorders, meaning we could inherit aspects of our personality from our family members.
How are needs related to personality disorders assessed?
Due to the fact that personality disorders share characteristics with other conditions or disorders, it is important to carry out a holistic assessment. When assessing needs relating to personality disorders it is important to have information about an individual’s background. Needs relating to personality disorders can be assessed using structured assessments, observations, questionnaires and clinical interviews. At HSR Psychology, we do not diagnose personality disorders.
Our process
At HSR Psychology we ensure that we meet the needs of children and young people. To achieve this we ensure that any specific assessments, intervention, or direct work, is only carried out following an initial discussion.
An initial discussion allows us to understand the background and your expectations of our involvement. Having an initial discussion ensures any services we provide appropriately identify or address needs.
Our process for any specific assessments, intervention, or direct work is as follows:
Step 1: Contact us
We will usually be contacted by the child or young person, parent or carer, or another professional (eg education or health).
You can contact us or complete a referral
Step 2: Arrange an initial discussion
An initial discussion allows us to understand the background and your expectations of our involvement. Arrange an initial discussion
Step 3: Review our recommendations
Following an initial discussion we will send you an email that includes:
- Next steps recommendations - to provide a bespoke package of support. For example:
- Assessments
- Reports
- Information gathering
- Meeting
- Interventions
- Consultancy
- Reviews
- Costing - we will provide costings for any services recommended.
Step 4: Let's get started
On receipt of the next steps recommendations and costing you can decide how to proceed. Once you have decided contact us to arrange the chosen services.
What happens after a personality disorder assessment?
After an assessment, one of our psychologists will share the findings with the relevant people. A comprehensive report may be provided following the assessment. If an intervention or training related to personality disorders is required then that can be arranged.
Which interventions do we offer for personality disorders?
Our specialist psychologists and psychotherapists offer a variety of interventions in relation to personality disorders. Examples of the interventions we offer include:
Interventions and their structure will be explained prior to the intervention. We recommend that interventions start as soon as possible following the identification of needs relating to the personality disorder.
Personality disorders can impact all areas of a child or young person’s life. Early needs identification and support can help to reduce risk and maximise an individual’s potential. If you would like to book our Initial Discussion for needs related to personality disorders then please get in contact us to speak to a member of the HSR Psychology team.