National field trial of the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for self-defeating personality disorder.

A national field trial of the criteria for self-defeating personality disorder was conducted in 1986. Among psychiatrists with a special interest in personality disorders there was a lack of consensus as to the need for the category in DSM-III-R. Although the diagnosis was more commonly made for female patients, the disorder was by no means rare in male patients. The diagnostic criteria for the disorder had high sensitivity and specificity. However, a series of analyses indicated that the category had limited descriptive validity and considerable overlap with borderline and dependent personality disorders.