A systematic review of the clinical utility of the categorical and alternative models of personality disorders

Abstract

For years the clinical utility of the categorical and alternative models of personality disorders have been the focus point of research. Many researchers set out to evaluate the utility of these models, and they used various methodologies and samples which lead to mixed and often contradicting results. From this we found it prudent to conduct a systematic review on relevant literature to provide a holistic view of the clinical utility of the alternative and categorical models. Eleven articles were identified for data analysis, and the findings showed higher clinical utility for the alternative model, with the categorical model’s utility mostly due to familiarity of clinicians with the model. Ultimately, the alternative model has shown superior clinical utility and empirical soundness as shown in previous research.