Revising the personality disorder diagnostic criteria for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-V): consider the later life context.

The categorical measurement approach implemented by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) personality disorder (PD) diagnostic system is theoretically and pragmatically limited. As a result, many prominent psychologists now advocate for a shift away from this approach in favor of more conceptually sound dimensional measurement. This shift is expected to improve the psychometric properties of the personality disorder (PD) diagnostic system and make it more useful for clinicians and researchers. The current article suggests that despite the probable benefits of such a change, several limitations will remain if the new diagnostic system does not closely consider the context of later life. A failure to address the unique challenges associated with the assessment of personality in older adults likely will result in the continued limited validity, reliability, and utility of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) system for this growing population. This article discusses these limitations and their possible implications. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.