Interpersonal Problems and the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders: An Investigation Using the Interpersonal Circumplex

TL;DR

This study explores how personality disorders relate to interpersonal problems using a psychological model called the interpersonal circumplex.

Contribution

The study extends understanding of how dimensional personality disorder criteria relate to specific interpersonal problems.

Findings

Both Criteria A and B of the AMPD were associated with general interpersonal distress.

Criterion B domains showed clearer associations with domineering and cold interpersonal problems.

The IIP-C is highlighted as a valuable tool for assessing interpersonal problems in personality disorders.

Abstract

A central feature of personality disorders (PDs) is interpersonal problems, which can be effectively conceptualized using the interpersonal circumplex (IPC). This study replicates and extends previous research on the relationship between the dimensional DSM‐5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) and interpersonal problems, as there are only a few studies in this area. The Structural Summary Method (SSM) was used in a sample of 168 psychiatric inpatients who completed Criterion A and B measures according to the AMPD: The Semi‐Structured Interview for Personality Functioning DSM‐5 (STiP‐5.1), the Level of Personality Functioning Scale (LPFS‐BF 2.0), and the Personality Inventory for DSM‐5 (PID‐5‐BF+). Additionally, general and specific interpersonal problems were assessed with the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP‐C). We found associations of both Criteria A and B of the AMPD with general interpersonal distress. Criterion A domains did not map cleanly onto the IPC's meta‐concepts of agency and communion; only a subset yielded interpretable circumplex profiles, primarily in the interpersonal functioning domain. Criterion B domains generally showed clearer and more specific associations, with most mapping onto domineering and cold interpersonal problems but showing little association with nonassertive or maladaptive warm problems. These results support and extend previous evidence of empirical links between the AMPD and the IPC, highlighting the IIP‐C's value for comprehensive assessment of interpersonal problems in PD. Further research is needed to clarify the overlap and distinctions between these models and to identify the interpersonal problems most relevant for treatment planning.

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