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Avoidant personality disorder

MedGen UID:
13985
•Concept ID:
C0004444
•
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Synonyms: Avoidant Personality Disorder; Avoidant Personality Disorders; Personality Disorder, Avoidant; Personality Disorders, Avoidant
SNOMED CT: Avoidant personality disorder (37746008)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0002027

Definition

A disorder characterized by an enduring pattern of avoidance of social situations and interpersonal contact due to overwhelming feelings of social inadequacy and a hypersensitivity to negative evaluation or rejection. [from NCI]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVAvoidant personality disorder

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Avoidant personality disorder as a social anxiety phenotype: risk factors, associations and treatment.
Lampe L
Curr Opin Psychiatry 2016 Jan;29(1):64-9. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000211. PMID: 26651009
Issues and controversies surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of social anxiety disorder.
Dalrymple KL
Expert Rev Neurother 2012 Aug;12(8):993-1008; quiz 1009. doi: 10.1586/ern.12.81. PMID: 23002942
The history, epidemiology, and differential diagnosis of social anxiety disorder.
Moutier CY, Stein MB
J Clin Psychiatry 1999;60 Suppl 9:4-8. PMID: 10335673

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Commentary about social avoidance and its significance in adolescents and young adults.
Simon AE, Keller P, Cattapan K
Psychiatry Res 2021 Mar;297:113718. Epub 2021 Jan 13 doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113718. PMID: 33465524
Reward and Punishment Sensitivity in Borderline and Avoidant Personality Disorders.
Berenson KR, Van De Weert SM, Nicolaou S, Campoverde C, Rafaeli E, Downey G
J Pers Disord 2021 Aug;35(4):573-588. Epub 2020 Mar 12 doi: 10.1521/pedi_2020_34_475. PMID: 32163026
Avoidant personality disorder and social phobia: Does mindreading make the difference?
Pellecchia G, Moroni F, Colle L, Semerari A, Carcione A, Fera T, Fiore D, Nicolò G, Pedone R, Procacci M
Compr Psychiatry 2018 Jan;80:163-169. Epub 2017 Sep 28 doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2017.09.011. PMID: 29096207
Avoidant personality disorder as a social anxiety phenotype: risk factors, associations and treatment.
Lampe L
Curr Opin Psychiatry 2016 Jan;29(1):64-9. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000211. PMID: 26651009
Schizoid personality disorder.
Triebwasser J, Chemerinski E, Roussos P, Siever LJ
J Pers Disord 2012 Dec;26(6):919-26. doi: 10.1521/pedi.2012.26.6.919. PMID: 23281676

Diagnosis

Reward and Punishment Sensitivity in Borderline and Avoidant Personality Disorders.
Berenson KR, Van De Weert SM, Nicolaou S, Campoverde C, Rafaeli E, Downey G
J Pers Disord 2021 Aug;35(4):573-588. Epub 2020 Mar 12 doi: 10.1521/pedi_2020_34_475. PMID: 32163026
Avoidant Personality Disorder: a Current Review.
Weinbrecht A, Schulze L, Boettcher J, Renneberg B
Curr Psychiatry Rep 2016 Mar;18(3):29. doi: 10.1007/s11920-016-0665-6. PMID: 26830887
Avoidant personality disorder as a social anxiety phenotype: risk factors, associations and treatment.
Lampe L
Curr Opin Psychiatry 2016 Jan;29(1):64-9. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000211. PMID: 26651009
Brief cognitive therapy for avoidant personality disorder.
Rees CS, Pritchard R
Psychotherapy (Chic) 2015 Mar;52(1):45-55. Epub 2013 Dec 30 doi: 10.1037/a0035158. PMID: 24377411
Schizoid personality disorder.
Triebwasser J, Chemerinski E, Roussos P, Siever LJ
J Pers Disord 2012 Dec;26(6):919-26. doi: 10.1521/pedi.2012.26.6.919. PMID: 23281676

Therapy

Treating Avoidant Personality Disorder With Combined Individual Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy and Group Mentalization-Based Treatment: A Pilot Study.
Simonsen S, Popolo R, Juul S, Frandsen FW, Sørensen P, Dimaggio G
J Nerv Ment Dis 2022 Mar 1;210(3):163-171. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001432. PMID: 34710894
Issues and controversies surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of social anxiety disorder.
Dalrymple KL
Expert Rev Neurother 2012 Aug;12(8):993-1008; quiz 1009. doi: 10.1586/ern.12.81. PMID: 23002942
Avoidant personality problems--their association with somatic and mental health, lifestyle, and social network. A community-based study.
Olssøn I, Dahl AA
Compr Psychiatry 2012 Aug;53(6):813-21. Epub 2011 Dec 5 doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2011.10.007. PMID: 22146705
Evidence-based pharmacotherapy for personality disorders.
Ripoll LH, Triebwasser J, Siever LJ
Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2011 Oct;14(9):1257-88. Epub 2011 Feb 15 doi: 10.1017/S1461145711000071. PMID: 21320390
Avoidant personality disorder and its relationship to social phobia.
Reich J
Curr Psychiatry Rep 2009 Feb;11(1):89-93. doi: 10.1007/s11920-009-0014-0. PMID: 19187715

Prognosis

Emotional dysfunction in avoidant personality disorder and borderline personality disorder: A cross-sectional comparative study.
Frederiksen C, Solbakken OA, Licht RW, Jørgensen CR, Rodrigo-Domingo M, Kjaersdam Telléus G
Scand J Psychol 2021 Dec;62(6):878-886. Epub 2021 Sep 15 doi: 10.1111/sjop.12771. PMID: 34523729Free PMC Article
Avoidant personality disorder and social functioning: A longitudinal, observational study investigating predictors of change in a clinical sample.
Kvarstein EH, Antonsen BT, Klungsøyr O, Pedersen G, Wilberg T
Personal Disord 2021 Nov;12(6):594-605. Epub 2021 Jan 28 doi: 10.1037/per0000471. PMID: 33507789
Reward and Punishment Sensitivity in Borderline and Avoidant Personality Disorders.
Berenson KR, Van De Weert SM, Nicolaou S, Campoverde C, Rafaeli E, Downey G
J Pers Disord 2021 Aug;35(4):573-588. Epub 2020 Mar 12 doi: 10.1521/pedi_2020_34_475. PMID: 32163026
The importance of avoidant personality in social anxiety disorder with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Yoldas C, Dogan B, Kocabas O, Memis CO, Sevincok D, Sevincok L
Atten Defic Hyperact Disord 2019 Sep;11(3):271-278. Epub 2019 Feb 14 doi: 10.1007/s12402-019-00291-x. PMID: 30767106
Predictors of withdrawal: possible precursors of avoidant personality disorder.
Eggum ND, Eisenberg N, Spinrad TL, Valiente C, Edwards A, Kupfer AS, Reiser M
Dev Psychopathol 2009 Summer;21(3):815-38. doi: 10.1017/S0954579409000443. PMID: 19583885Free PMC Article

Clinical prediction guides

Reward and Punishment Sensitivity in Borderline and Avoidant Personality Disorders.
Berenson KR, Van De Weert SM, Nicolaou S, Campoverde C, Rafaeli E, Downey G
J Pers Disord 2021 Aug;35(4):573-588. Epub 2020 Mar 12 doi: 10.1521/pedi_2020_34_475. PMID: 32163026
A Review of Psychopathology Features, Personality, and Coping in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1.
Minier L, Lignier B, Bouvet C, Gallais B, Camart N
J Neuromuscul Dis 2018;5(3):279-294. doi: 10.3233/JND-180310. PMID: 30040740Free PMC Article
Avoidant personality disorder and social phobia: Does mindreading make the difference?
Pellecchia G, Moroni F, Colle L, Semerari A, Carcione A, Fera T, Fiore D, Nicolò G, Pedone R, Procacci M
Compr Psychiatry 2018 Jan;80:163-169. Epub 2017 Sep 28 doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2017.09.011. PMID: 29096207
Brief cognitive therapy for avoidant personality disorder.
Rees CS, Pritchard R
Psychotherapy (Chic) 2015 Mar;52(1):45-55. Epub 2013 Dec 30 doi: 10.1037/a0035158. PMID: 24377411
Predictors of withdrawal: possible precursors of avoidant personality disorder.
Eggum ND, Eisenberg N, Spinrad TL, Valiente C, Edwards A, Kupfer AS, Reiser M
Dev Psychopathol 2009 Summer;21(3):815-38. doi: 10.1017/S0954579409000443. PMID: 19583885Free PMC Article

Recent systematic reviews

Is the alternative model for personality disorders able to capture avoidant personality disorder according to Section II of the DSM-5? A systematic review.
Hummelen B, Ulltveit-Moe Eikenæs I, Wilberg T
Personal Disord 2022 Jul;13(4):412-417. doi: 10.1037/per0000553. PMID: 35787131
Prevalence, Factor Structure, and Heritability of Avoidant Personality Disorder.
Reich J, Schatzberg A
J Nerv Ment Dis 2021 Oct 1;209(10):764-772. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001378. PMID: 34582403
For whom does interpersonal psychotherapy work? A systematic review.
Bernecker SL, Coyne AE, Constantino MJ, Ravitz P
Clin Psychol Rev 2017 Aug;56:82-93. Epub 2017 Jul 8 doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2017.07.001. PMID: 28710917
Pre-treatment patient variables as predictors of drop-out and treatment outcome in cognitive behavioural therapy for social phobia: A systematic review.
Eskildsen A, Hougaard E, Rosenberg NK
Nord J Psychiatry 2010 Apr;64(2):94-105. doi: 10.3109/08039480903426929. PMID: 20055730
World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines for biological treatment of personality disorders.
Herpertz SC, Zanarini M, Schulz CS, Siever L, Lieb K, Möller HJ; WFSBP Task Force on Personality Disorders; World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP)
World J Biol Psychiatry 2007;8(4):212-44. doi: 10.1080/15622970701685224. PMID: 17963189

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