Avoidant personality disorder

Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD), or anxious personality disorder, is a personality disorder characterized by marked social inhibition and avoidance, accompanied by feelings of inadequacy and a strong sensitivity to rejection or negative evaluation. People with AvPD may therefore avoid social interaction, while at the same time strongly desiring more involvement with other people. Not precisely known, the causes of AvPD are believed to involve several environmental and genetic factors. The disorder is chronic, and research is limited with regard to its treatment. Treatment and time may allow for the condition to be ameliorated. Ostensibly, it affects a similar number of women as it does men, with some indication of a higher prevalence among women. There are two definitions of AvPD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders since the publication of its fifth edition (DSM-5); the primary definition is categorical, while the other is derived from a dimensional model. The most recent revision (ICD-11) of the International Classification of Diseases does not specifically include AvPD or other specific personality disorders, having replaced such diagnoses with a dimensional classification system.