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Personality disorders (PDs) are a group of mental disorders characterized by enduring maladaptive patterns of behaviour, cognition, and inner experience that deviate from the individual’s culture and can be seen in a variety of settings. These patterns are associated with significant distress or disability, are rigid, and begin early. The official criteria for diagnosing personality disorders are listed in the sixth chapter of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). However, the definitions vary from source to source and remain contentious.
