Utilizing Clinical Intake Data to Streamline Comprehensive Personality Assessment for DSM-5 AMPD Personality Vulnerability: A Descriptive Case Series

Abstract

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (DSM-5 AMPD) offers a robust framework for conceptualizing personality pathology through Criterion A (impairment in self and interpersonal functioning) and Criterion B (maladaptive personality traits). While comprehensive psychometric assessments are essential for formal classification, the initial intake and screening process within a busy community mental health service often yields rich, yet underutilized, descriptive preliminary data. This descriptive cross-sectional case study presents a detailed analysis of three new client presentations at a community mental health service. Data was extracted from standard, point-in-time intake/screening questionnaires administered at initial presentation, identifying severity of personality vulnerability. This initial descriptive data was subsequently cross-referenced and integrated into a comprehensive psychometric assessment protocol designed to systematically evaluate Criterion A and B of the DSM-5 AMPD. The case series demonstrates how themes and specific indicators within the routine intake documentation successfully flagged core components of personality pathology (e.g., identity disturbance, interpersonal difficulty, negative affect, detachment, disinhibition, psychoticism) consistent with emerging AMPD Criterion A and B profiles. These preliminary insights allowed the clinical team to tailor and prioritise sections of the formal psychometric assessment, optimizing clinical efficiency without compromising diagnostic rigor. Routine clinical intake data serves as a valuable initial screen for DSM-5 AMPD personality vulnerability, streamlining and enhancing the efficiency of comprehensive psychometric assessments. Integrating intake data into formal assessment pathways has facilitated earlier identification of personality pathology and allowed for more timely and targeted therapeutic interventions.