How to diagnose dependent personality disorder

The diagnosis of dependent personality disorder requires a comprehensive assessment by a psychiatrist through clinical interviews, psychological evaluations, and exclusion of other mental illnesses. The diagnostic criteria mainly include core characteristics such as excessive dependence on others, fear of separation, and lack of autonomous decision-making ability, which must comply with the standards of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

1. Clinical Interview

Doctors will use structured interviews to understand patients' emotional states, interpersonal relationship patterns, and daily behavior. Focus on whether patients need others to take responsibility for their lives in the long term, whether they excessively tolerate unreasonable demands due to fear of losing support, or whether they have difficulty independently completing daily tasks. Interviews may involve childhood experiences, important relationships, and ways of coping with stress.

2. Psychological Scale Assessment

Common tools include the Dependent Personality Disorder Screening Scale or the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Test. The scale assesses the degree of dependence of patients on others through standardized questions, such as whether they frequently seek comfort or feel extreme anxiety when making decisions alone. The evaluation results should be combined with clinical manifestations and cannot be used as a diagnostic basis alone.

3. To exclude other diseases [SEP], it is necessary to distinguish diseases such as depression, anxiety disorder, or borderline personality disorder that may be accompanied by dependent behavior. For example, patients with depression may rely on others due to lack of energy, but the core symptom is low mood rather than interpersonal relationship patterns. The doctor will evaluate the duration, severity, and compliance with comorbidity criteria of the symptoms.

4. Observing behavioral patterns

Diagnosis requires confirmation that dependent behavior is long-term and widespread, lasting for at least two years, and affects multiple domains such as social and occupational functions. Typical manifestations include passive obedience, avoidance of conflicts, and panic when alone. Doctors may require patients to describe specific life events, such as whether their job choices or economic arrangements are entirely dependent on others' decisions.

5. Social functioning assessment

analyzes the degree of impact of dependency behavior on patients' quality of life, such as whether they give up career opportunities due to fear of solitude or need long-term companionship due to inability to shop independently. Doctors will evaluate patients' coping abilities when there is a lack of support system, as well as whether there are cognitive distortions such as self deprecation and excessive self blame. If there is suspicion of dependency personality disorder, it is recommended to seek medical attention at a psychiatric and psychological department as soon as possible. During the diagnosis process, family members can provide objective behavioral observation records, but should avoid expressing subjective feelings. After diagnosis, autonomy can be improved through cognitive-behavioral therapy. Small scale decision-making can be gradually practiced in daily life, such as independently arranging daily meals or spending short periods of time alone, while establishing a healthy sense of social boundaries.