About this Research Topic

Background

Personality disorders in youth, while common and impairing (12-14%), go largely underdiagnosed, under-researched, and undertreated. There is a tradition in the field to delay identifying these disorders until adulthood despite research suggesting that personality disorders in youth can be effectively diagnosed and, if appropriately done, lead to improved outcomes and prevention of more severe and additional pathology. Furthermore, the recent adaptations of treatment for personality disorders in youth (e.g., Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents, Mentalization Based Therapy) provide clinicians with tools to manage and treat these disorders. Unfortunately, the research and treatment findings have not translated into clinical practice, as clinicians continue to refrain from explicitly diagnosing and treating personality disorders due to misunderstandings about the ability to diagnose personality disorders among younger populations, concerns about stigma, and attributing the presence of personality pathology to normative adolescent development.

The goal of this Research Topic is to increase the knowledge base of personality disorders in youth, including how they present in younger individuals, the age implications for their treatment and that of comorbid disorders, and their effect on future outcomes. This Research Topic aims to update the current knowledge base and provide information that clarifies previous conceptions of managing personality disorders in youth. This Research Topic also aims to provide practical guidelines on how to identify personality disorders in youth and how to present information in a non-stigmatizing and supportive manner. It is important to note that the majority of research on personality disorders in youth has focused on Borderline Personality Disorder with a relative paucity of empirical writings devoted to other personality disorders among pediatric and adolescent populations. As such, there is a need for research investigating other personality disorders (e.g., Avoidant, Obsessive-Compulsive, Schizotypal, Histrionic, Narcissistic PDs, etc.) to expand awareness and enhance understanding of their presentation, functional consequences, and treatment in youth samples.

Specific topic suggestions for research include the following:

• Reducing stigma associated with personality disorders in youth (e.g., guidelines for discussing personality disorders in youth, educating and training clinicians in identification and treatment of personality disorders)

• The role of parenting in the development, maintenance, and treatment of personality disorders in youth

• Role of personality disorders in development of related functional impairments (e.g., school refusal, substance use) specific to youth

• Diagnostic and treatment conceptualizations of personality disorders in youth (e.g., categorical vs. dimensional models, etiology, comorbidity/differential diagnoses)

Keywords: personality disorders, adolescents, youth

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