The relationship between DSM-III personality disorders and the five-factor model of personality

Two hundred twenty-four first-degree relatives of patients with psychotic disorders were administered the Structured Interview for DSM-III Personality Disorders (SIDP) and completed a self-report instrument to assess dimensions of the five-factor model of personality. All of the DSM-III personality disorders were related to one or more dimensions of the five personality factors; however, the correlations were generally low. It seems that the five personality factors describe important features of DSM-III personality disorders, but are not sufficient to completely explain their characteristics. Future use of the five-factor model in conjunction with personality disorder diagnoses may provide useful information for clinical work and research purposes.