Self-Defeating Personality Disorder Reconsidered

The objective of this study was to assess the distinctiveness, incremental validity, and gender bias of self-defeating personality disorder (SDPD) symptoms. A total of 441 nonclinical subjects completed personality disorder questionnaires. Structural equation modeling and regression analyses indicated that SDPD symptoms were distinctive, predicted impairment/distress beyond other personality disorder symptoms, and showed no gender bias. SDPD warrants reconsideration as a valid nosological category.