Avoidant Personality Disorder Workup
- Author: David C Rettew, MD; Chief Editor: Caroly Pataki, MD more...
Laboratory Studies
No specific laboratory tests are helpful in the diagnostic workup of patients with avoidant personality disorder.
Imaging Studies
No specific imaging studies are helpful in the workup of patients with avoidant personality disorder. Routine brain CT scanning or MRI without focal neurologic signs are not indicated.
Other Tests
- Young children should receive an audiology examination to rule out hearing problems.
- Clinicians may want to consider using rating scales or standardized diagnostic interviews designed for the quantitative assessment of personality disorders and other psychiatric disorders.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed, text revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000.
Kendler KS, Aggen SH, Czajkowski N, Roysamb E, Tambs K, Torgersen S, et al. The structure of genetic and environmental risk factors for DSM-IV personality disorders: a multivariate twin study. Arch Gen Psychiatry. Dec 2008;65(12):1438-46. [Medline].
Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Czajkowski N, Neale MC, et al. Genetic and environmental influences on dimensional representations of DSM-IV cluster C personality disorders: a population-based multivariate twin study. Psychol Med. May 2007;37(5):645-53. [Medline].
Grant BF, Hasin DS, Stinson FS, et al. Prevalence, correlates, and disability of personality disorders in the United States: results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions. J Clin Psychiatry. Jul 2004;65(7):948-58. [Medline].
Zimmerman M, Rothschild L, Chelminski I. The prevalence of DSM-IV personality disorders in psychiatric outpatients. Am J Psychiatry. Oct 2005;162(10):1911-8. [Medline].
Kagan J. Galen's Prophecy: Temperament in Human Nature. New York, NY: Basic Books; 1994.
Johnson JG, Cohen P, Chen H, Kasen S, Brook JS. Parenting behaviors associated with risk for offspring personality disorder during adulthood. Arch Gen Psychiatry. May 2006;63(5):579-87. [Medline].
Rettew DC, Zanarini MC, Yen S, et al. Childhood antecedents of avoidant personality disorder: a retrospective study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. Sep 2003;42(9):1122-30. [Medline].
Rettew DC. Avoidant personality disorder, generalized social phobia, and shyness: putting the personality back into personality disorders. Harv Rev Psychiatry. Dec 2000;8(6):283-97. [Medline].
[Best Evidence] Emmelkamp PM, Benner A, Kuipers A, et al. Comparison of brief dynamic and cognitive-behavioural therapies in avoidant personality disorder. Br J Psychiatry. Jul 2006;189:60-4. [Medline]. [Full Text].
Skodol AE, Bender DS, Pagano ME, et al. Positive childhood experiences: resilience and recovery from personality disorder in early adulthood. J Clin Psychiatry. Jul 2007;68(7):1102-8. [Medline].
Beidel DC, Turner SM. Shy Children, Phobic Adults: The Nature and Treatment of Social Phobia. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 1998.
Cox BJ, Pagura J, Stein MB, Sareen J. The relationship between generalized social phobia and avoidant personality disorder in a national mental health survey. Depress Anxiety. 2009;26(4):354-62. [Medline].
Millon T. Modern Psychopathology: A Biosocial Approach to Maladaptive Learning and Functioning. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders; 1969.
Schwartz CE, Snidman N, Kagan J. Adolescent social anxiety as an outcome of inhibited temperament in childhood. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. Aug 1999;38(8):1008-15. [Medline].
Westen D, Shedler J, Durrett C, et al. Personality diagnoses in adolescence: DSM-IV axis II diagnoses and an empirically derived alternative. Am J Psychiatry. May 2003;160(5):952-66. [Medline].

