Abstract
The method of treatment of dependent personality disorder that will be described in this chapter requires an understanding of the setting of this disorder within the entire range of personality disorders. Such an understanding is provided by a classificatory system, called the interpersonal octagon (Fig. 2) within which the ten DSM-IV, Axis II (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) personality disorders have been accommodated (Birtchnell, 1997a). The system is based upon a new interpersonal theory that has been developed by the senior author (Birtchnell, 1993/6). Within it, personality disorders are categorised according to the individual’s relating characteristics. The therapy, based upon the theory, involves minimising what will be called negative relating characteristics and maximising what will be called positive ones. The chapter will be divided into five parts. In the first, the version of interpersonal theory to be used will be described; in the second, dependent personality disorder will be defined within the context of this theory; in the third, the therapy of dependent personality disorder, based upon this definition, will be explained; in the fourth, a method of measuring change in therapy, based upon the theory, will be introduced and, by this method, the responsiveness of dependent patients to therapy will be demonstrated; and in the fifth, the general themes of the chapter will be brought together. Although it is acknowledged that dependent personality disorder is more prevalent in women, for ease of reading only, the male gender will be used throughout the chapter.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edn. (DSM-IV). American Psychiatric Association Press, Washington, DC.
Anchin, J.C. and Kiesler, D.J. (1987) Handbook of interpersonal psychotherapy. Pergamon, New York.
Benjamin, L.S. ( 1984 ) Principles of prediction using structural analysis of social behavior. In Zucker, R.A., Aronoff, J., and Rabin A.J. (Eds.) Personality and the Prediction of Behavior. Academic Press: New York.
Benjamin, L.S. (1987) Use of the SASB dimensional model to develop treatment plans for personality disorders. 1: Narcissism. Personality Disorders, 1, 43–70.
Berg, I. (1974) A self-administered dependency questionnaire (SADQ) for use with the mothers of school children. British Journal of Psychiatry, 124, 1–9.
Birtchnell, J. (1984) Dependence and its relationship to depression. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 57, 215–225.
Birtchnell, J. (1986) The imperfect attainment of intimacy: a key concept in marital therapy. Journal of Marital Therapy, 8, 153–172.
Birtchnell, J. (1987) Attachment-detachment, directiveness-receptiveness: A system for classifying interpersonal attitudes and behaviour. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 60, 17–27.
Birtchnell, J. (1988) Defining dependence. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 61, 111–123.
Birtchnell, J. (1990) Interpersonal theory: Criticism, modification, and elaboration. Human Relations, 43, 1183–1201.
Birtchnell, J. (1991a) Redefining dependence: A reply to Cadbury’s critique. British Journal of medical Psychology, 64, 253–261.
Birtchnell, J. (1991b) The measurement of dependence by questionnaire. Journal of Personality Disorders, 5, 281–295.
Birtchnell, J. (1993/1996) How humans relate: A new interpersonal theory. HB (1993) Praeger, Westport, CT. PB (1996) Psychology Press, Hove, Sussex.
Birtchnell, J. (1994) The interpersonal octagon: An alternative to the interpersonal circle. Human Relations, 47, 511–529.
Birtchnell, J. (1996a) The management and resolution of dependency in the depressed client. In Flach, F. (Ed.) The Hatherleigh guide to managing depression. Hatherleigh Press, New York.
Birtchnell, J. (1996b) Detachment. In Costello, C. (Ed.) Personality characteristics of the personality disordered. Wiley, New York.
Birtchnell, J. (1997a) Personality set within an octagonal model of relating. In Plutchik, R. and Conte, H.R. (Eds.) Circumplex models of personality and emotions. American Psychology Association Press, Washington, D.C.
Birtchnell, J. (1997b) Attachment in an interpersonal context. British Journal of Medical Psychology,70, (in press).
Birtchnell, J., Deahl, M., and Falkowski, J. (1991) Further exploration of the relationship between depression and dependence. Journal of Affective Disorders, 22, 221–233.
Birtchnell, J., Falkowski, J., and Steffert, B. (1992) The negative relating of depressed patients: A new approach. Journal of Affective Disorders, 24, 165–176.
Bowlby, J. (1973) Attachment and Loss. Vol. 2: Separation, Anxiety and Anger. Hogarth Press/Institute of Psychoanalysis, London.
Bowlby, J. (1977) The making and breaking of affectional bonds, 1, Aetiology and psychopathology in the light of attachment theory. British Journal of Psychiatry, 130, 201–210.
Carson, R.C. (1969) Interaction concepts of personality. Aldine, Chicago, III.
Costa, P.T. and McCrae, R.R. (1986) Personality stability and its implications for clinical psychology. Clinical Psychology Review, 6, 407–432.
Freedman, M.B., Leary, T., Ossorio, A.G., and Coffee, H.S. (1951) The interpersonal dimension of personality. Journal of Personality, 20, 143–161.
Fromm, E. (1947) Man for himself. Rinehart, New York.
Gilbert, P. (1989) Human nature and suffering. Erlbaum, Hillside, New Jersey.
Hirschfeld, R.M.A., Klerman, G.L., Clayton, P.J., Keller, M.B., McDonald-Scott, P., and Larkin, B.H. (1983) Assessing personality: Effects of the depressive state on trait measurement. American Journal of psychiatry, 140, 695–699.
Hirschfeld, R.M.A., Klerman, G.L., Lavori, P., Keller, M.B., Griffith, P, and Coryell, W. (1989) Pre-morbid personality assessment of first onset major depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46, 345–350.
Homey, K. (1937) The neurotic personality of our time. Norton, New York.
Jacobson, E. (1964) The self and the object world. International Universities Press, New York.
Kaufman, G. (1996) The psychology of shame: Theory and treatment of shame-based syndromes. Springer, New York.
Kiesler, D.J. (1986) Interpersonal methods of diagnosis and treatment. In Cavenar, J.O. (Ed.) Psychiatry, Vol. 1, 1–23. Lippincott, Philadelphia.
Klerman, G.L., Weissman, M.M., Rounsaville, B.J. et al. (1984) Interpersonal psychotherapy of depression. Basic Books, New York.
Laing, R.D. (1965) The divided self. Penguin: Harmondsworth, Middlesex.
Leary, T. (1957) Interpersonal diagnosis of personality. Ronald Press, New York.
Livesley, W.J. (1996) The implication of recent research on the structure and etiology of personality disorders for treatment. Paper read to the II European Congress on Personality Disorders, Milan, June 29th.
Livesley, W.J., Jang, K.L., Jackson, D.N., and Vernon, P.A. (1993) Genetic and environmental contributions to dimensions of personality disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 1826–1831.
Livesley, W.J., Schroeder, M.L., and Jackson, D.N. (1990) Dependent personality disorder and attachment problems. Journal of Personality Disorders, 4, 131–140.
Mahler, M. (1963) Thoughts about development and individuation. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 18, 307–324.
Orford, J. (1986) The rules of interpersonal complementarity: Does hostility beget hostility and dominance, submission? Psychological Review, 93, 365–377.
Parens, H. and Saul, L.J. (1971) Dependence in man. International Universities Press, New York.
Millon, T. (1981) Dependent personality: The submissive pattern (Chapter 4). In Disorders of personality, DSM-III, Axis II. Wiley, New York.
Pilkonis, P.A. (1988) Personality prototypes among depressives: Themes of dependency and autonomy. Journal of Personality Disorders, 2, 144–152.
Ray, J.J. (1976) Do authoritarians hold authoritarian attitudes? Human Relations, 29, 307–325.
Schwartz, D.A., Flinn, D.E., and Slawson, P.F. (1974) Treatment of the suicidal character. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 28, 194–207.
Sullivan, H.S. (1953) The interpersonal theory of psychiatry. Norton, New York.
Sullivan, H.S. (1954) The psychiatric interview. Norton, New York.
Trapnel, P.D. and Wiggins, J.S. (1990) Extension of the Interpersonal Adjective Scales to include the Big Five dimensions of personality. Journal of Personality and Social psychology, 59, 781–790.
Wiggins, J.S. (1982) Circumplex models of interpersonal behavior in clinical psychology. In Kendall, P.C. and Butcher, J.N. (Eds.) Handbook of research methods in clinical psychology. Wiley, New York.
Wiggins, J.S. and Pincus, A.L. (1989) Conceptions of personality disorders and dimensions of personality. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical psychology, 1, 305–316.
Winnicott, D.W. (1958) The capacity to be alone. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 9, 420–438.
World Health Organisation (1989) International classification of diseases, 10th edn. (ICD-10). World Health Organisation, Division of Mental Health, Geneva.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Birtchnell, J., Borgherini, G. (1999). A New Interpersonal Theory and the Treatment of Dependent Personality Disorder. In: Derksen, J., Maffei, C., Groen, H. (eds) Treatment of Personality Disorders. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6876-3_19
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6876-3_19
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-3326-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-6876-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive