Personality Disorders in Adolescence: Label or Opportunity?

Abstract

The articles in this special issue testify to the rapidly growing body of research concerning the assessment and treatment of personality disorders (PDs) in adolescence. In this commentary, we will first attempt to summarize what we consider to be the overall take-home messages of the articles in this issue in the context of current limitations in our knowledge of PDs in adolescence. Further, we comment on the gap between science and practice in this field, stressing the importance of diagnosing PDs in adolescence. We close with some thoughts and recommendations concerning the future of research on PDs in adolescence. © 2013 American Psychological Association. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., on behalf of the American Psychological Association.