Personality diatheses: a superior explanation than disorder.

Diatheses confer vulnerability to disorder but are not necessarily manifest overtly or consistently. It is suggested that the main empirical findings of studies with abnormal personality support the notion that they are diatheses rather than disorders. This includes their onset early in life, their variability of expression dependent on setting, their greater association with more severe disorders and their acceptance as intrinsic components of functioning by most suffering from these conditions. It is argued that a separate axis of classification for personality diatheses rather than disorders is justified.