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Lynne Lamberg

JAMA. 2006;296:1341-1342.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Toronto—Some patients call frequently with "emergencies" that turn out to be minor. Some ignore medical advice or fail to fill prescriptions. Some come in with suspicious bruises, yet deny being in an abusive relationship. Some badger or insult the staff.

Such "difficult to treat" or "problem" patients may have personality disorders that complicate their care, according to specialists at a symposium on advances in personality disorders at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) here in May.

WHAT IS PERSONALITY?

Personality reflects enduring patterns of cognition, emotion, motivation, and behavior activated in particular circumstances, said Drew Westen, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.

(Photo credit: AJPhoto/www.sciencesource.com)

Heritable factors shape personality, he said. Some newborn babies are fussy, and others calm. Genes interact with early environmental experiences to make each person unique.

Everyone has some pathology: enduring patterns that cause distress . . . [Full Text of this Article]