Geology 102: More Thoughts on a Shift to a Dimensional Model of Personality Disorders

The classification of personality disorders is at a critical stage. The categorical model presented in the official diagnostic manual of mental disorders has serious limitations, and it is time for a shift to a dimensional model of personality disorder. Although the evidence in favor of switching to a dimensional model of personality disorder is compelling, the fields of clinical psychology and psychiatry have been reluctant to make the shift. We think some of this reluctance is due to a misunderstanding of the current state of dimensional models of personality and personality disorders. We address three major myths about dimensional models and provide responses to each.