Affective Instability as a Clinical Feature of Avoidant Personality Disorder
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-1-2017
Department 1
Psychology
Abstract
The current study’s main goal was to examine whether affective instability is elevated among individuals suffering from avoidant personality disorder (APD) by comparing it to the affective instability found among individuals suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD) as well that found among healthy controls. Adults (N = 152, aged 18–65 years) with BPD, APD, or no psychopathology participated in a 3-week computerized diary study. We examined temporal instability in negative affect using experience-sampling methods. Both within and between days, individuals with APD showed greater affective instability compared to the healthy control individuals, although less affective instability compared to individuals with BPD. The findings are in line with affective instability (or emotional lability) as a key dimension relevant across personality disorders. Additionally, they emphasize the need for research and clinical attention to affective characteristics (alongside the more readily recognized interpersonal characteristics) of APD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
DOI
10.1037/per0000202
Recommended Citation
Snir, A., E. Bar-Kalifa, K. R. Berenson, G. Downey, & E. Rafaeli. "Affective instability as a clinical feature of avoidant personality disorder." Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment 8, no. 4 (2017). 389-395.
Comments
Original version available online at http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-38177-001?doi=1