DSM-III-R and ICD-10 personality disorders and their relationship with the big five dimensions of personality

This paper reports the only study today into the empirical relationship between the Big Five dimensions of personality and symptoms of personality disorders according to both ICD-10 as well as DSM-III-R in two samples of ‘normal’ volunteers. Correlations were computed between the scores obtained with two different Big Five questionnaires and the number of personality disorder symptoms (criteria met) as measured by a self-report questionnaire (VKP). These questionnaires are the 23BB5: the 23 bipolar Big Five and the 5PFT: the Five Personality Factor Test. Furthermore, we compared the results of our studies with those of all studies we could trace in the literature (12 in all) regarding correlations between Big Five dimensions and the personality disorder symptoms, according to DSM-III-(R) only. It was concluded that: (a) our study is unique, because for the first time the relationships between ICD-10 personality disorders criteria and Big Five dimensions are investigated; (b) the differences found with regard to the ICD-10 personality disorders symptoms and the corresponding DSM-III-R personality disorder symptoms are relatively small; (c) therefore in terms of underlying personality dimensions the criteria in both systems are more or less the same.