Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Personality Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Is Similar and What Is Different?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Psychiatric Symptoms and Comorbidities in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Personality disorders (PDs) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are heterogeneous, poorly understood disorders that impede development, social functioning, and quality of life. We discuss clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic issues and compare clinical picture, etiology, and impact of these disorders, discouraging fatalism and therapeutic nihilism.

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

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • American Psychiatric Association (2000) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR). American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Fifth edition (DSM-5). American Psychiatric Association, Arlington

    Google Scholar 

  • Anckarsater H (2006) Central nervous changes in social dysfunction: autism, aggression, and psychopathy. Brain Res Bull 69(3):259–265. doi:10.1016/j.brainresbull.2006.01.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bachmann CJ, Manthey T, Kamp-Becker I, Glaeske G, Hoffmann F (2013) Psychopharmacological treatment in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders in Germany. Res Dev Disabil 34:2551–2563

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ballard ED, Van Eck K, Hart SR, Storr CL, Breslau N, Wilcox HC (2015) Latent classes of childhood trauma exposure predict the development of behavioral health outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood. Psychol Med 45(15):3305–3316

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bateman A, Fonagy P (2006) Mentalization-based treatment for borderline personality disorder. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Biskin RS (2015) The lifetime course of borderline personality disorder. Can J Psychiatry 60(7):303–308

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Blader JC, Pliszka SR, Kafantaris V, Foley CA, Crowell JA, Carlson GA, . . . Daviss WB (2013) Callous-unemotional traits, proactive aggression, and treatment outcomes of aggressive children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 52(12): 1281–1293. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2013.08.024

    Google Scholar 

  • Blair RJR (1999) Psychophysiological responsiveness to the distress of others in children with autism. Personal Individ Differ 26(3):477–485. doi:10.1016/s0191-8869(98)00154-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bölte S, Rühl D, Schmötzer G, Poustka F (2006) ADI-R Diagnostisches Interview für Autismus - Revidiert Deutsche Fassung des Autism diagnostic interview – revised von Michael Rutter, Ann Le Couteur und Catherine Lord (1st ed). Huber/Hogrefe, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • Brunner R, Parzer P, Resch F (2001) Dissoziative Symptome und traumatische Lebensereignisse bei Jugendlichen mit einer Borderline-Störung. Persönlichkeitsstörungen 5:4–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Chanen AM, Kaess M (2012) Developmental pathways to borderline personality disorder. Curr Psychiatry Rep 14(1):45–53. doi:10.1007/s11920-011-0242-y

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clarkin JF, Levy KN, Lenzenweger MF, Kernberg OF (2004) The Personality Disorders Institute/Borderline Personality Disorder Research Foundation randomized control trial for borderline personality disorder: rationale, methods, and patient characteristics. J Personal Disord 18(1):52–72. doi:10.1521/pedi.18.1.52.32769

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen P, Crawford TN, Johnson JG, Kasen S (2005) The children in the community study of developmental course of personality disorder. J Personal Disord 19(5):131–140. doi:10.1521/pedi.2005.19.5.466

    Google Scholar 

  • Coid J, Yang M, Tyrer P, Roberts A, Ullrich S (2006) Prevalence and correlates of personality disorder in Great Britain. Br J Psychiatry 188:423–431

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deutschsprachige Fassung der Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – 2 von C. Lord, M. Rutter, P.C. DiLavore, S. Risi, K. Gotham und S.L. Bishop (Module 1-4) und C. Lord, R.J. Luyster, K. Gotham und W. Guthrie (Kleinkind-Modul) (1st ed). Hogrefe, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • Esterberg ML, Trotman HD, Brasfield JL, Compton MT, Walker EF (2008) Childhood and current autistic features in adolescents with schizotypal personality disorder. Schizophr Res 104(1–3):265–273. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2008.04.029

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • First MB, Gibbon M, Spitzer RL, Williams JB (1997) Structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I/SCID-II). American Psychiatric Publishers, Arlington

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleischhaker C, Sixt B, Schulz E (2011) DBT-A Dialektisch-behaviorale Therapie für Jugendliche. Springer Science + Business Media, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Foelsch PA, Kernberg OF, Krischer MK (2008) Übertragungsfokussierte Psychotherapie für Jugendliche. Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 57(8–9):662–692

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foelsch PA, Odom A, Arena H, Krischer MK, Sevecke K, Schlüter-Müller S (2010) Differenzierung zwischen Identitätskrise und Identitätsdiffusion und ihre Bedeutung für die Behandlung – am Beispiel einer Kasuistik. Praxis Kinderpsychologie Kinderpsychiatrie 59:418–434. doi:10.13109/prkk.2008.57.89.662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foelsch P, Schlüter-Müller S, Odom A, Arena H, Borzutzky A, Schmeck K (2013) Behandlung von Jugendlichen mit Identitätsstörungen (AIT). Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Handen BL, Aman MG, Arnold LE, Hyman SL, Tumuluru RV, Lecavalier L, . . . Smith T (2015) Atomoxetine, parent training, and their combination in children with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 54(11):905–915. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2015.08.013

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare RD, Neumann CS (2009) Psychopathy: assessment and forensic implications. Can J Psychiatry 54(12):791–802. doi:10.1093/med/9780199551637.003.0007

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huband N, Ferriter M, Nathan R, Jones H (2010) Antiepileptics for aggression and associated impulsivity. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2):CD003499. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003499.pub3

  • Hurst RM, Nelson-Gray RO, Mitchell JT, Kwapil TR (2006) The relationship of Asperger’s characteristics and Schizotypal personality traits in a non-clinical adult sample. J Autism Dev Disord 37(9):1711–1720. doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0302-z

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jarnecke AM, Miller ML, South SC (2015) Daily diary study of personality disorder traits: momentary affect and cognitive appraisals in response to stressful events. Personal Disord. doi:10.1037/per0000157

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones AP, Happé FGE, Gilbert F, Burnett S, Viding E (2010) Feeling, caring, knowing: different types of empathy deficit in boys with psychopathic tendencies and autism spectrum disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 51(11):1188–1197. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02280.x

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Jucksch V, Salbach-Andrae H, Lehmkuhl U (2009) Persönlichkeitsentwicklung im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Nervenarzt 80(11):1322–1326. doi:10.1007/s00115-009-2805-2

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • King-Casas B, Chiu PH (2012) Understanding interpersonal function in psychiatric illness through multiplayer economic games. Biol Psychiatry 72(2):119–125. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.03.033

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Klar H, Siever LJ (1984) The psychopharmacologic treatment of personality disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am 7(4):791–801

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krischer MK, Sevecke K (2008) Early traumatization and psychopathy in female and male juvenile offenders. Int J Law Psychiatry 31(3):253–262. doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2008.04.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krischer MK, Sevecke K (2010, July 1–3) The prevalence of personality disorders in adolescent in-patients. Paper presented at the 1st International Congress on Borderline Personality Disorders, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Krischer M, Sevecke K, Döpfner M, Lehmkuhl G (2006) Persönlichkeitsstörungsmerkmale im Kindes- und Jugendalter: Konzepte, methodische Ansätze und empirische Ergebnisse. Z Kinder Jugendpsychiatr 34(2):87–100. doi:10.1024/1422-4917.34.2.87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linehan M (1993) Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder, 1st edn. The Guilford Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Loranger AW (1994) The international personality disorder examination. Arch Gen Psychiatry 51(3):215–224. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1994.03950030051005

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lugnegård T, Hallerbäck MU, Gillberg C (2012) Personality disorders and autism spectrum disorders: what are the connections? Compr Psychiatry 53(4):333–340. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2011.05.014

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mannuzza S, Klein RG, Bessler A, Malloy P, LaPadula M (1998) Adult psychiatric status of hyperactive boys grown up. Am J Psychiatry 155(4):493–498. doi:10.1176/ajp.155.4.493

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller JN, Ozonoff S (1997) Did Asperger’s cases have Asperger disorder? A research note. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 38(2):247–251

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller AL, Rathus JH, Linehan MM, Wetzler S, Leigh E (1997) Dialectical behavior therapy adapted for suicidal adolescents. J Psychiatr Pract 3(2):78–86. doi:10.1097/00131746-199703000-00002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newcorn JH, Weiss M, Stein MA (2007) The complexity of ADHD: diagnosis and treatment of the adult patient with comorbidities. CNS Spectr 12(8 Suppl 12):1–14, quiz 15–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Nigg JT, John OP, Blaskey LG, Huang-Pollock CL, Willicut EG, Hinshaw SP, Pennington B (2002) Big five dimensions and ADHD symptoms: links between personality traits and clinical symptoms. J Personal Soc Psychol 83(2):451–469. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.83.2.451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oldham JM, Gabbard GO, Goin MK, Gunderson J, Soloff P, Spiegel D, . . . Phillips KA (2001) Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder. J Psychiatry 1–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Paris J (2011) Pharmacological treatments for personality disorders. Int Rev Psychiatry 23(3):303–309. doi:10.3109/09540261.2011.586993

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poustka L, Rühl D, Feineis-Matthews S, Bölte S, Poustka F, Hartung M (2015) Diagnostische Beobachtungsskala für Autistische Störungen – 2

    Google Scholar 

  • Prada P, Nicastro R, Zimmermann J, Hasler R, Aubry JM, Perroud N (2015) Addition of methylphenidate to intensive dialectical behaviour therapy for patients suffering from comorbid borderline personality disorder and ADHD: a naturalistic study. Atten Defic Hyperact Disord 7(3):199–209. doi:10.1007/s12402-015-0165-2

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roberz J, Lehmkuhl G, Sevecke K (2013) Autismus oder “Psychopathy”? Forensische Psychiatrie, Psychologie. Kriminologie 7(4):282–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers K, Dziobek I, Hassenstab J, Wolf OT, Convit A (2006) Who Cares? Revisiting empathy in Asperger syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 37(4):709–715. doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0197-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rösler M, Retz W, Yaqoobi K, Burg E, Retz-Junginger P (2008) Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in female offenders: prevalence, psychiatric comorbidity and psychosocial implications. Eur Arch Psychiatry 259(2):98–105. doi:10.1007/s00406-008-0841-8

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheel C, Rotarska-Jagiela A, Schilbach L, Lehnhardt FG, Krug B, Vogeley K, Tepest R (2011) Imaging derived cortical thickness reduction in high-functioning autism: key regions and temporal slope. Neuroimage 58(2):391–400. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.06.040

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid M, Fegert JM, Petermann F (2010) Traumaentwicklungsstörung: Pro und Contra. Kindheit Entwicklung 19(1):47–63. doi:10.1026/0942-5403/a000008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sevecke K, Krischer M (2008) ADHS und Persönlichkeitsstörungen bei klinisch behandelten und inhaftierten Jugendlichen. Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 57:641–661

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sigman M, Dissanayake C, Corona R, Espinosa M (2003) Social and cardiac responses of young children with autism. Autism 7(2):205–216. doi:10.1177/1362361303007002007

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simonoff E, Jones CR, Baird G, Pickles A, Happe F, Charman T (2013) The persistence and stability of psychiatric problems in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 54(2):186–194

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skodol AE, Gunderson JG, Shea MT, McGlashan TH, Morey LC, Sanislow CA, . . . Stout RL (2005) The Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study (CLPS): overview and implications. J Personality Disord 19(5):487–504. doi:10.1521/pedi.2005.19.5.487

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinhausen HC, Bisgaard C (2014) Substance use disorders in association with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, co-morbid mental disorders, and medication in a nationwide sample. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 24(2):232–241. doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.11.003

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stepp SD (2012) Development of borderline personality disorder in adolescence and young adulthood: introduction to the special section. J Abnorm Child Psychol 40(1):1–5. doi:10.1007/s10802-011-9594-3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sucksmith E, Roth I, Hoekstra RA (2011) Autistic traits below the clinical threshold: re-examining the broader autism phenotype in the 21st century. Neuropsychol Rev 21(4):360–389

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tantam D (1988) Lifelong eccentricity and social isolation. II. Br J Psychiatry 153(6):783–791

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vannucchi G, Masi G, Toni C, Dell’Osso L, Marazziti D, Perugi G (2014) Clinical features, developmental course, and psychiatric comorbidity of adult autism spectrum disorders. CNS Spectr 19(2):157–164. doi:10.1017/s1092852913000941

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace GL, Dankner N, Kenworthy L, Giedd JN, Martin A (2010) Age-related temporal and parietal cortical thinning in autism spectrum disorders. Brain 133(12):3745–3754. doi:10.1093/brain/awq279

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace GL, Shaw P, Lee NR, Clasen LS, Raznahan A, Lenroot RK, . . . Giedd JN (2012) Distinct cortical correlates of autistic versus antisocial traits in a longitudinal sample of typically developing youth. J Neurosci 32(14):4856–4860. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.6214-11.2012

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams K, Brignell A, Randall M, Silove N, Hazell P (2013) Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Cochrane Database Syst Rev (8):1-49. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004677.pub3

  • Yang Y, Raine A, Colletti P, Toga AW, Narr KL (2009) Abnormal temporal and prefrontal cortical gray matter thinning in psychopaths. Mol Psychiatry 14(6):561–562. doi:10.1038/mp.2009.12

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Young JE, Klosko JS, Weishaar M (2003) Schema therapy: a practitioner’s guide. The Guilford Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria

    Kathrin Sevecke

  2. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vienna Medical University, Vienna, Austria

    Luise Poustka & Christian Popow

Authors
  1. Kathrin Sevecke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Luise Poustka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christian Popow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathrin Sevecke .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy

    Luigi Mazzone

  2. National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Benedetto Vitiello

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sevecke, K., Poustka, L., Popow, C. (2016). Personality Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Is Similar and What Is Different?. In: Mazzone, L., Vitiello, B. (eds) Psychiatric Symptoms and Comorbidities in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29695-1_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29695-1_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-29693-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-29695-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation