Personality disorder
Meaning of personality disorder: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, personality disorder means a disorder of mental health that meets the following diagnostic criteria (derived from DSM-5): A. An enduring pattern of inner experience and behaviour that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture. This pattern is manifested in two (or more) of the following areas: (i) cognition (that is, ways of perceiving and interpreting self, other people and events); (ii) affectivity (that is, the range, intensity, lability and appropriateness of emotional response); (iii) interpersonal functioning; or (iv) impulse control. B. The enduring pattern is inflexible and pervasive across a broad range of personal and social situations. C. The enduring pattern leads to clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning. D. The pattern is stable and of long duration, and its onset can be traced back at least to adolescence or early adulthood. E. The enduring pattern is not better explained as a manifestation or consequence of another mental disorder. F. The enduring pattern is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (fo
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 17 of 2018
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting personality disorder or death from personality disorder with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)experiencing a category 1A stressor within the two years before the clinical onset of personality disorder;
Note: category 1A stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)experiencing a category 1B stressor within the one year before the clinical onset of personality disorder;
Note: category 1B stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (3)experiencing severe childhood abuse before the clinical onset of personality disorder;
Note: severe childhood abuse is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (4)having a clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified, within the five years before the clinical onset of personality disorder;
Note: clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (5)experiencing a category 1A stressor within the two years before the clinical worsening of personality disorder;
Note: category 1A stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (6)experiencing a category 1B stressor within the one year before the clinical worsening of personality disorder;
Note: category 1B stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (7)experiencing severe childhood abuse before the clinical worsening of personality disorder;
Note: severe childhood abuse is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (8)having a clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified, within the five years before the clinical worsening of personality disorder;
Note: clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (9)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for personality disorder;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(5) to 9(9) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 18 of 2018
9 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, personality disorder or death from personality disorder is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)experiencing a category 1A stressor within the one year before the clinical onset of personality disorder;
Note: category 1A stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)experiencing a category 1B stressor within the six months before the clinical onset of personality disorder;
Note: category 1B stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (3)experiencing severe childhood abuse before the clinical onset of personality disorder;
Note: severe childhood abuse is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (4)having a clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified, within the five years before the clinical onset of personality disorder;
Note: clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (5)experiencing a category 1A stressor within the one year before the clinical worsening of personality disorder;
Note: category 1A stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (6)experiencing a category 1B stressor within the six months before the clinical worsening of personality disorder;
Note: category 1B stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (7)experiencing severe childhood abuse before the clinical worsening of personality disorder;
Note: severe childhood abuse is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (8)having a clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified, within the five years before the clinical worsening of personality disorder;
Note: clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (9)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for personality disorder;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(5) to 9(9) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
