How is histrionic personality disorder diagnosed?
Personality continues to evolve throughout child and adolescent development. Because of this, healthcare providers don’t typically diagnose someone with histrionic personality disorder until after the age of 18.
Personality disorders, including histrionic personality disorder, can be difficult to diagnose since most people with a personality disorder don’t think there’s a problem with their behavior or way of thinking.
When they do seek help, it’s often due to conditions such as anxiety or depression due to the problems created by their personality disorder, such as divorce or lost relationships, and not the disorder itself.
When a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, suspects someone might have histrionic personality disorder, they often ask broad, general questions that won’t create a defensive response or hostile environment. They ask questions that will shed light on:
- Past history.
- Relationships.
- Previous work history.
- Reality testing.
- Impulse control.
Because a person suspected of having histrionic personality disorder may lack awareness of their behaviors, mental health professionals might ask to collect information from the person’s family and friends.
Mental health providers base a diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder on the criteria for the condition in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Diagnosis criteria for histrionic personality disorder require meeting five (or more) of the following persistent behaviors:
- Uncomfortable when not the center of attention.
- Seductive or provocative behavior.
- Shifting and shallow emotions.
- Uses appearance to draw attention.
- Impressionistic and vague speech.
- Dramatic or exaggerated emotions.
- Suggestible (easily influenced by others).
- Considers relationships more intimate than they are.
