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Personality Disorders in Late Life

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Geriatric Psychiatry

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Abstract

Personality is dynamic and continues to evolve throughout the lifespan. Various methods have been developed to approach this complex entity, yet none is able to perfectly capture the phenomenon. Adding to this classification challenge is the fact that personality disorders have not been studied extensively among older populations, yet they can be associated with significant impairment in physical, emotional, and social functioning in later life. There is also a correlation with higher risk of depressive disorders, suicide, major neurocognitive disorder, and social isolation among older patients with personality disorders. Besides sometimes choosing a model that is a combination of various classifications, the most crucial elements in the diagnostic process of personality disorders are psychiatric history and biographical items; therefore, as people get older, more time should be allocated to those sections during the clinical interview. Treatment approaches (including psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy) are similar to evidence-based interventions for younger populations, but should take into account functional limitations and systemic medical conditions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Caroline Giroux MD

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Saint John Regional Hospital, Dalhousie University, Memorial University, Saint John, NB, Canada

    W. Edwin Smith

Authors
  1. Caroline Giroux MD
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  2. W. Edwin Smith
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Caroline Giroux MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Ana Hategan

  2. Baylor Scott and White Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Temple, Texas, USA

    James A. Bourgeois

  3. Division of General Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California, USA

    Calvin H. Hirsch

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California, USA

    Caroline Giroux

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Giroux, C., Edwin Smith, W. (2018). Personality Disorders in Late Life. In: Hategan, A., Bourgeois, J., Hirsch, C., Giroux, C. (eds) Geriatric Psychiatry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67555-8_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67555-8_25

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-67554-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-67555-8

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