Personality Disorder Test
A 15-question screening covering all three DSM-5 clusters. Free, private, and instant — with a full breakdown by cluster.
Cluster A
I often feel that people are talking about me or have negative intentions toward me, even without clear evidence.
What is a personality disorder?
Personality disorders are among the most misunderstood conditions in mental health — partly because the word "personality" makes them sound like character flaws rather than clinical diagnoses, and partly because the traits they involve exist on a spectrum that blends into everyday variation. Everyone has a personality style. A personality disorder is diagnosed when that style becomes rigid, pervasive, and a source of significant distress or functional impairment.
The DSM-5 defines a personality disorder as an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from cultural expectations, is stable over time, and causes distress or functional impairment in two or more of the following areas: cognition (how one perceives oneself, others, and events), affectivity (the range, intensity, and regulation of emotional responses), interpersonal functioning, and impulse control.
Approximately 10–15% of the general population meets criteria for at least one personality disorder at some point in their lifetime. Most people with personality disorders also experience other conditions — depression, anxiety, substance use, and eating disorders co-occur at high rates — which is why accurate professional assessment matters enormously.
The three clusters — how the DSM-5 organizes personality disorders
The DSM-5 groups the 10 personality disorders into three clusters based on shared descriptive features. The clusters are useful conceptually but imperfect — many people meet criteria for disorders in more than one cluster, and the boundaries between them are less clean in practice than they appear on paper.
Cluster A — Odd or Eccentric
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others, interpreting motivations as malicious. Reluctance to confide in others, tendency to bear grudges, and perception of threats in benign actions or remarks.
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and restricted emotional expression. Little desire for close relationships, preference for solitary activities, and emotional coldness or flattened affect.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Acute discomfort in close relationships, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentric behavior. Odd beliefs, magical thinking, ideas of reference, and unusual speech that don't meet the threshold for psychosis.
Cluster B — Dramatic, Emotional, or Erratic
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Pervasive disregard for and violation of the rights of others. Deceitfulness, impulsivity, irritability, reckless disregard for safety, consistent irresponsibility, and lack of remorse. Requires history of conduct disorder before age 15.
Borderline Personality Disorder
Instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affect, combined with marked impulsivity. Fear of abandonment, splitting (idealizing and devaluing), identity disturbance, self-harm, chronic emptiness, and intense anger.
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Excessive emotionality and attention-seeking. Discomfort when not the center of attention, provocative behavior, rapidly shifting and shallow emotional expression, and impressionistic speech.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy. Sense of entitlement, exploitative behavior, arrogance, and envy — alternating with vulnerability to criticism and fragile self-esteem.
Cluster C — Anxious or Fearful
Avoidant Personality Disorder
Social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation. Avoidance of occupational activities involving interpersonal contact, unwillingness to engage unless certain of acceptance, and self-perception as socially inept.
Dependent Personality Disorder
Pervasive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation. Difficulty making everyday decisions without excessive advice, fear of disagreement, urgency to begin a new relationship when one ends.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control at the expense of flexibility and efficiency. Excessive devotion to work, rigidity, inability to discard worthless objects, and stubbornness. Note: distinct from OCD.
How personality disorders are diagnosed
A personality disorder diagnosis is not something that happens quickly or from a single questionnaire. Diagnosis requires a comprehensive clinical interview — typically conducted by a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, or licensed clinical social worker — that evaluates whether the pattern is pervasive (present across different contexts), stable over time (typically since adolescence or early adulthood), and clearly causing distress or functional impairment.
Clinicians also need to rule out that the pattern is better explained by another mental disorder, the physiological effects of a substance, or a medical condition. This is genuinely complex: the symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder overlap significantly with Bipolar II, ADHD, PTSD, and Major Depressive Disorder. The symptoms of OCPD overlap with OCD. Getting the distinction right matters because treatments differ.
Structured clinical interviews — like the SCID-5-PD or the IPDE — are the gold standard for personality disorder assessment in clinical research settings. In general practice, most clinicians use semi-structured interviews combined with self-report measures like the PDQ-4 or the MMPI-2-RF.
Treatment: what actually works
Personality disorders are treatable. Treatment typically takes longer than for depression or anxiety — personality patterns are by definition entrenched — but the evidence base for specific therapies has grown substantially over the past two decades.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
BPD, emotional dysregulation across Cluster BDeveloped specifically for BPD by Marsha Linehan. Combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with acceptance and mindfulness. Strong evidence base across multiple randomized controlled trials. Standard of care for BPD.
Schema Therapy
BPD, Narcissistic PD, Cluster C disordersDeveloped by Jeffrey Young. Focuses on identifying and changing deep-seated schemas (core beliefs) that drive personality disorder patterns. Effective for chronic, deeply ingrained patterns that other therapies haven't resolved.
Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT)
BPD, Antisocial PDDeveloped by Bateman and Fonagy. Focuses on improving the ability to understand one's own and others' mental states. Strong evidence base for BPD; growing evidence for antisocial features.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cluster C disorders (AvPD, DPD, OCPD)Well-established for anxiety-based personality patterns. Helps identify and modify distorted thinking patterns and avoidance behaviors. Often shorter-term than other personality disorder therapies.
Transference-Focused Therapy (TFP)
BPD, Narcissistic PDPsychodynamic approach that uses the therapeutic relationship as the primary vehicle for change. Works through internalized object relations that drive interpersonal dysfunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 10 personality disorders?
The DSM-5 recognizes 10 personality disorders organized into three clusters. Cluster A (odd/eccentric): Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal personality disorders. Cluster B (dramatic/emotional): Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Narcissistic personality disorders. Cluster C (anxious/fearful): Avoidant, Dependent, and Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorders.
What is a personality disorder?
A personality disorder is a mental health condition characterized by an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates significantly from cultural expectations, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and causes distress or functional impairment. The pattern manifests in at least two of: cognition, affectivity, interpersonal functioning, and impulse control. Personality disorders affect an estimated 10–15% of the general population.
What is the most common personality disorder?
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is the most common personality disorder in the general population, affecting approximately 2–8% of adults. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is the most common among people seeking psychiatric treatment, affecting about 2% of the general population and 10–20% of psychiatric inpatients. Antisocial Personality Disorder affects about 3% of men and 1% of women.
Can personality disorders be treated?
Yes. Personality disorders are treatable, though treatment typically takes longer than for conditions like depression or anxiety. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is the gold standard for Borderline Personality Disorder and has evidence for several other Cluster B disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and schema therapy are effective for Cluster C disorders. Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) and transference-focused therapy are used for BPD and narcissistic PD. Medications can target specific symptoms (mood instability, anxiety, impulsivity) but no medication treats a personality disorder directly.
Is this personality disorder test a diagnosis?
No. This is a screening tool, not a diagnostic instrument. A personality disorder diagnosis requires a comprehensive clinical interview by a qualified mental health professional (typically a psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed clinical social worker), who evaluates the pattern over time and rules out other conditions. This screening can help you identify patterns worth discussing with a professional — it cannot confirm or rule out any diagnosis.