Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Avoidant Personality Disorder

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences

  • 422 Accesses

Synonyms

Avoidance; Avoidant personality

Definition

Avoidant Personality Disorder (AVPD) is characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, avoidance of activities that involve substantial interpersonal interaction, and reluctance to take risks or engage in new activities because of feared embarrassment.

Introduction

Avoidant Personality Disorder (AVPD) is a mental disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, low self-esteem, and feelings of inadequacy, hypersensitivity to rejection and criticism, avoidance of activities that involve substantial interpersonal exchanges, and reluctance to take personal risks. Many of these features are believed to stem from the avoidant personality’s fear of being criticized or shamed by others. Individuals diagnosed with AVPD tend to be fairly isolated socially and to experience impaired functioning across multiple areas of life, particularly at work or...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abbass, A., Sheldon, A., Gyra, J., & Kalpin, A. (2008). Intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy for DSM IV personality disorders. A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 196, 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alden, L. (1989). Short-term structured treatment for avoidant personality disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57(6), 756–764.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alden, L. E., & Capreol, M. J. (1993). Avoidant personality disorder: Interpersonal problems as predictors of treatment response. Behavior Therapy, 24(3), 357–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alnaes, R., & Torgersen, S. (1988). The relationship between DSM-III symptom disorders (Axis I) and personality disorders (Axis II) in an outpatient population. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 78(4), 485–492.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alpert, J. E., Uebelacker, L. A., McLean, N. E., Nierenberg, A. A., Pava, J. A., Worthington III, J. J., … & Fava, M. (1997). Social phobia, avoidant personality disorder and atypical depression: Co-occurrence and clinical implications. Psychological Medicine, 27(03), 627–633.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1952). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (1st ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1968). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1980). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed. revised). Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baillie, A. J., & Lampe, L. A. (1998). Avoidant personality disorder: Empirical support for DSM-IV revisions. Journal of Personality Disorders, 12(1), 23–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barber, J. P., Morse, J. Q., Krakauer, I. D., Chittams, J., & Crits-Christoph, K. (1997). Change in obsessive-compulsive and avoidant personality disorders following time-limited supportive-expressive therapy. Psychotherapy, 34, 133–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bleuler, E. (1911). Dementia praecox oder gruppe der schizophrenien. Leipzig: Deuticke.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bleuler, E. (1950). Dementia praecox. New York: International Universities Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boone, M. L., McNeil, D. W., Masia, C. L., Turk, C. L., Carter, L. E., Ries, B. J., & Lewin, M. R. (1999). Multimodal comparisons of social phobia subtypes and avoidant personality disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 13(3), 271–292.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, E. J., Heimberg, R. G., & Juster, H. R. (1995). Social phobia subtype and avoidant personality disorder: Effect on severity of social phobia, impairment, and outcome of cognitive behavioral treatment. Behavior Therapy, 26(3), 467–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cramer, V., Torgersen, S., & Kringlen, E. (2007). Socio-demographic conditions, subjective somatic health, Axis I disorders and personality disorders in the common population: The relationship to quality of life. Journal of Personality Disorders, 21(5), 552–567.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deltito, J. A., & Stam, M. (1989). Psychopharmacological treatment of avoidant personality disorder. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 30(6), 498–504.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Emmelkamp, P. M., Benner, A., Kuipers, A., Feiertag, G. A., Koster, H. C., & Van Apeldoorn, F. J. (2006). Comparison of brief dynamic and cognitive–behavioural therapies in avoidant personality disorder. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 189(1), 60–64.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grilo, C. M., McGlashan, T. H., Morey, L. C., Gunderson, J. G., Skodol, A. E., Tracie Shea, M., … & Dyck, I. (2001). Internal consistency, intercriterion overlap and diagnostic efficiency of criteria sets for DSM-IV schizotypal, borderline, avoidant and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 104(4), 264–272.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hofmann, S. G., Newman, M. G., Becker, E., Taylor, C. B., & Roth, W. T. (1995). Social phobia with and without avoidant personality disorder: Preliminary behavior therapy outcome findings. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 9(5), 427–438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holt, C. S., Heimberg, R. G., & Hope, D. A. (1992). Avoidant personality disorder and the generalized subtype of social phobia. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101(2), 318–325.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hope, D. A., Herbert, J. D., & White, C. (1995). Diagnostic subtype, avoidant personality disorder, and efficacy of cognitive—behavioral group therapy for social phobia. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 19(4), 399–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horney, K. (1945). Our inner conflicts. New York: Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hummelen, B., Wilberg, T., Pedersen, G., & Karterud, S. (2006). An investigation of the validity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, avoidant personality disorder construct as a prototype category and the psychometric properties of the diagnostic criteria. Comprehensive psychiatry, 47(5), 376–383.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kernberg, O. F., & Caligor, E. (2006). A psychoanalytic theory of personality disorders. In M. F. Lenzenweger & J. F. Clarkin (Eds.), Major theories of personality disorder (2nd ed., pp. 106–140). New York: The Guildford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein, D. N., Riso, L. P., Donaldson, S. K., Schwartz, J. E., Anderson, R. L., Ouimette, P. C., … & Aronson, T. A. (1995). Family study of early-onset dysthymia: Mood and personality disorders in relatives of outpatients with dysthymia and episodic major depression and normal controls. Archives of General Psychiatry, 52(6), 487–496.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kretschmer, E. (1925). Korperbau und charakter. Berlin: Springer Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lampe, L., Slade, T., Issakidis, C., & Andrews, G. (2003). Social phobia in the Australian national survey of mental health and well-being (NSMHWB). Psychological Medicine, 33(04), 637–646.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liebowitz, M. R., Schneier, F., Campeas, R., Hollander, E., Hatterer, J., Fyer, A., … & Klein, D. F. (1992). Phenelzine vs atenolol in social phobia: A placebo-controlled comparison. Archives of General Psychiatry, 49(4), 290–300.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McWilliams, N. (2011). Psychoanalytic diagnosis: Understanding personality structure in the clinical process (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Millon, T. (1969). Modern psychopathology: A biosocial approach to maladaptive learning and functioning. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.

    Google Scholar 

  • Millon, T. (1991). Avoidant personality disorder: A brief review of issues and data. Journal of Personality Disorders, 5(4), 353–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millon, T., & Davis, R. O. (1996). Disorders of personality: DSM-IV and beyond. Oxford, UK: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Millon, T., Grossman, S., Millon, C., Meagher, S., & Ramnath, R. (2004). Personality disorders in modern life. Hoboken: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralevski, E., Sanislow, C. A., Grilo, C. M., Skodol, A. E., Gunderson, J. G., Tracie Shea, M., ... & McGlashan, T. H. (2005). Avoidant personality disorder and social phobia: distinct enough to be separate disorders?. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 112(3), 208–214.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reich, J., Noyes, R., & Yates, W. (1989). Alprazolam treatment of avoidant personality traits in social phobic patients. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 50(3), 91–95.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reichborn-Kjennerud, T., Czajkowski, N., Torgersen, S., Neale, M. C., Ørstavik, R. E., Tambs, K., & Kendler, K. S. (2007). The relationship between avoidant personality disorder and social phobia: A population-based twin study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164(11), 1722–1728.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Renneberg, B., Goldstein, A. J., Phillips, D., & Chambless, D. L. (1990). Intensive behavioral group treatment of avoidant personality disorder. Behavior Therapy, 21(3), 363–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shea, M. T., Stout, R. L., Yen, S., Pagano, M. E., Skodol, A. E., Morey, L. C., … & Bender, D. S. (2004). Associations in the course of personality disorders and Axis I disorders over time. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 113(4), 499–508.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Shedler, J., & Westen, D. (2004). Refining personality disorder diagnosis: Integrating science and practice. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(8), 1350–1365.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skodol, A. E., Gunderson, J. G., Shea, M. T., McGlashan, T. H., Morey, L. C., Sanislow, C. A., … & Pagano, M. E. (2005). The collaborative longitudinal personality disorders study (CLPS): Overview and implications. Journal of Personality Disorders, 19(5), 487–504.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Svartberg, M., Stiles, T. C., & Seltzer, M. H. (2004). Randomized, controlled trial of the effectiveness of short-term dynamic psychotherapy and cognitive therapy for cluster C personality disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(5), 810–817.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tillfors, M., Furmark, T., Ekselius, L., & Fredrikson, M. (2004). Social phobia and avoidant personality disorder: One spectrum disorder? Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 58(2), 147–152.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Torgersen, S., Kringlen, E., & Cramer, V. (2001). The prevalence of personality disorders in a community sample. Archives of General Psychiatry, 58(6), 590–596.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, S. M., Beidel, D. C., Dancu, C. V., & Keys, D. J. (1986). Psychopathology of social phobia and comparison to avoidant personality disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95(4), 389–394.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilberg, T., Karterud, S., Pedersen, G., & Urnes, Ø. (2009). The impact of avoidant personality disorder on psychosocial impairment is substantial. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 63(5), 390–396.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, M., Rothschild, L., & Chelminski, I. (2005). The prevalence of DSM-IV personality disorders in psychiatric outpatients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(10), 1911–1918.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Emilie Lerner, Jonah Teitelbaum & Kevin B. Meehan

Authors
  1. Emilie Lerner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jonah Teitelbaum
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kevin B. Meehan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emilie Lerner .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Virgil Zeigler-Hill

  2. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Psychology, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Kevin B. Meehan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Lerner, E., Teitelbaum, J., Meehan, K.B. (2019). Avoidant Personality Disorder. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_571-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_571-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation