What are the key diagnostic criteria for identifying personality disorders in adults according to NICE guidelines?

Key diagnostic criteria for identifying personality disorders in adults according to NICE guidelines include:

• Presence of enduring patterns of difficulties in emotional regulation, impulse control, and interpersonal relationships that significantly impair social and occupational functioning.
• Common features include difficulties accurately interpreting and controlling emotions, impulsivity (such as difficulty planning and seeking high levels of stimulation), unstable sense of self that varies with context, and problems with social functioning including relating to and forming relationships with others.
• Behaviours and traits must be persistent and pervasive across different contexts and not better explained by other mental disorders or substance misuse.
• Assessment should consider the impact on autonomy, goal setting, and self-harm behaviours.
• Practitioners should use these features to inform care planning and ensure interventions focus on problem solving, emotion regulation, impulse control, managing interpersonal relationships, and reducing harmful behaviours.
• People with personality disorders should not be excluded from health or social care services based solely on their diagnosis.

These criteria are derived from NICE guidance emphasizing the identification of common features and behaviours associated with personality disorders to support diagnosis and management in adults, particularly in contexts such as criminal justice and mental health services ¹,²,³.