Sex bias in the diagnosis of personality disorders: A different approach

There has been considerable controversy regarding a possible sex bias in the diagnosis of personality disorders (PDs). However, prior research has at times confused a bias within clinicians who fail to adhere to the diagnostic criteria with a bias within the diagnostic criteria. Rather than assess whether females are more likely than males to be diagnosed with a respective disorder, the current study assesses whether the thresholds for the diagnosis of female-typed PDs are lower than the thresholds for male-typed PDs. Subjects completed two self-report inventories for the DSM-III-R personality disorders, and three inventories that assessed 30 aspects of personality dysfunction organized with respect to social dysfunction, occupational dysfunction, and personal distress. There was no indication that the diagnostic thresholds for personality disorders that occur more often in females is lower than the thresholds for the personality disorders that occur more often in males. The implications of these findings for the issue of sex biased diagnoses are discussed.