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From the Research
Diagnostic Criteria for Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD)
The diagnostic criteria for Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD) are characterized by a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others, such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent [(1,2,3)]. The key features of PPD include:
- Suspiciousness and feeling persecuted 1
- Grandiosity 1
- Discrepancy between the outer persona and the inner world of the individual 1
- Demanding, arrogant, mistrustful, driven, unromantic, moralistic, and acutely vigilant behavior 1
- Internally, individuals with PPD are often frightened, timid, self-doubting, gullible, inconsiderate, vulnerable to erotomania, and cognitively unable to grasp the totality of actual events 1
Dimensional Structure of PPD
Research suggests that PPD has a dimensional latent structure, rather than a discrete class or taxon 3. This means that paranoid personality traits exist on a continuum, rather than as a distinct category 3. The diagnostic criteria for PPD may be better represented as a dimensional construct, with individuals exhibiting varying degrees of paranoid traits [(2,3,4)].
Specific Diagnostic Criteria
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for PPD include:
- Persistent unwarranted doubts about the loyalty of friends 2
- Unwarranted accusations of infidelity of partner 2
- Suspiciousness and hostility 2 However, the reliability and validity of these criteria have been questioned, and it has been suggested that a two-dimensional model of PPD, consisting of suspiciousness and hostility, may be more accurate 2.