Tests & assessment
Personality disorders — testing and assessment
We offer testing and treatment of personality disorders. The diagnosis is based on validated questionnaires and a diagnostic interview — and following the assessment you receive a concrete proposal for a treatment plan.
Validated questionnaires · Diagnostic interview · Treatment plan proposal
What is it?
What is a personality disorder?
A personality disorder is a mental health condition characterised by enduring, inflexible patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The patterns deviate significantly from what is considered normal or expected in a given culture — the person often reacts in ways that feel inappropriate or extreme, even in situations that do not call for it.
This can cause significant difficulties in social, working and personal life — for example recurring conflicts at work or persistent problems in close relationships. Common to all types is that they affect how the person perceives themselves and others, and how he or she interacts with the world.
Understanding and diagnosing a personality disorder makes it possible to target the psychotherapeutic work quickly and put together the right treatment — and it gives relatives a chance to understand reaction patterns and defuse critical situations.
Types
The three main clusters
Personality disorders are divided into three main clusters according to their symptoms and characteristics. The intensity varies, and they can present differently from person to person.
Cluster A
Odd or eccentric disorders
Paranoid: suspicion, distrust and watchfulness towards others.
Schizoid: shyness, difficulty with close contact, a tendency towards isolation.
Schizotypal: unusual patterns of thought and behaviour, social difficulties — often odd beliefs.
Cluster B
Dramatic or emotional disorders
Narcissistic: self-centredness, an inflated self-image, lack of empathy, devaluing and exploiting others.
Emotionally unstable (borderline): intense emotional swings, impulsivity, unstable relationships and self-image.
Histrionic: exaggerated emotional reactions, dramatic and attention-seeking.
Antisocial: lack of social responsibility and empathy, disregard for norms, impulsive, a tendency to exploit others.
Cluster C
Anxious or fearful disorders
Obsessive-compulsive: perfectionistic, conscientious, a need for control, focused on details.
Anxious (avoidant): social inhibition, sensitivity to criticism and rejection, a longing for acceptance.
Dependent: lack of independence, helplessness, reliance on others.
Comorbidity: A person can have traits from several clusters or a mix of symptoms from different disorders. In an assessment we therefore always remain open to co-existing personality disorders.
Characteristics
Symptoms and causes
Common traits
Deviating patterns: enduring patterns of thought and behaviour that deviate from cultural norms and expectations.
Relationship difficulties: trouble establishing and maintaining healthy, stable relationships.
Impulse control and emotion regulation: inappropriate or uncontrolled reactions.
Distorted self-perception: difficulty understanding and interpreting social situations correctly.
Reduced functioning and distress: difficulty adapting to social norms; often persistent worry, anxiety or low mood.
Causes
Genetic disposition: hereditary factors contribute around 50% to the development.
Early upbringing: the quality of close relationships in childhood strongly shapes personality development.
Traumatic experiences: abuse, neglect or other childhood trauma increases the risk.
Neurobiological factors: certain neurochemical imbalances may be involved.
The disorders often emerge in adolescence or early adulthood — early identification and intervention are crucial.
How it works
The four steps of the assessment
Diagnosing personality disorders requires a thorough evaluation of thoughts, feelings and behaviour. If several disorders are in play, follow-up sessions may be needed — tests and questionnaires never stand alone, but form part of an overall clinical evaluation.
1
Questionnaires from home
You complete validated questionnaires in advance. They give the interview a standardised, objective starting point.
2
Diagnostic interview
A specialised psychologist explores your experiences, relationships, life history and everyday challenges over one or more sessions.
3
Input from relatives
When needed: a questionnaire for close relatives to complete at home — their perspective gives a more complete picture.
4
Diagnosis and treatment plan
We bring test results and interviews together into an overall evaluation and give you a concrete proposal for a treatment plan.
Background
Why test for personality disorders?
Testing for personality disorders is essential to gain a deeper understanding of a person's mental state — and to provide the right help and support.
Insight into the personality
Testing provides valuable insight into patterns of thought, feeling and behaviour. This is particularly important because people with personality disorders often find it hard to sense who they really are. Testing uncovers fundamental personality traits that are often unconscious to the person themselves, and gives a deeper understanding of psychological functioning and identity formation.
Enduring behaviour patterns
Personality disorders are characterised by enduring, inflexible patterns that have typically been present since adolescence or early adulthood. Testing identifies these patterns and shows how they affect the person's mental and emotional state, daily life and relationships — so that treatment can be tailored to the individual.
Understanding perception
People with personality disorders can experience the world through a filter that colours thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Small social signals that others barely register can be perceived as dismissive or mocking. A person with paranoid personality disorder may read a neutral comment as a hidden threat, while a person with borderline may experience small signs of rejection as overwhelmingly painful. Testing helps uncover the deep-seated patterns that shape the person's experience of the world.
Difficulties in social relationships
Distrust, emotional instability or a strong fear of rejection often make it hard to form close relationships, work with colleagues or take part in social settings. Testing maps how the difficulties show up — for example a tendency to misread other people's intentions as hostile — and so provides the best starting point for a treatment plan that strengthens relationships, emotional coping and social skills.
After the diagnosis
Treatment of personality disorders
Psychotherapy is the primary form of treatment — individually, in a group or in combination, typically over at least a year. Several specialised methods exist, including dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mentalisation-based therapy (MBT) and schema therapy (ST). Research shows the methods are roughly equally effective — the decisive factor is the therapist's experience and specialisation.
Psychoeducation is an integrated part of the treatment: insight into your own condition — symptoms, causes and options — makes it easier to recognise and manage the challenges and work purposefully towards recovery. Read more about our tests and assessments.
Important note on medication
There is no specific medication for personality disorders — attachment patterns cannot be treated with medicine. In some, often severe, cases a psychiatrist can ease individual symptoms with, for example, mood-stabilising, antidepressant or (in very small doses) antipsychotic medication. That is always a medical decision.
Experience and specialisations
Who carries out the assessments?
Max B Pedersen
Psychologist, specialist, PhD
Lyngby · Copenhagen · Frederikssund
GP referral: Yes (Frederikssund & online)
Languages: Danish · English
Booking
Book an assessment
Write to us here if you need a test or an assessment for a personality disorder — we will find you an appointment with a short waiting time. You are also welcome to call us on +45 4245-4600.