Avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders belong to which cluster?

Avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders belong to which cluster?

• A. Cluster A
• B. Cluster B
• C. Cluster C
• D. Not a cluster

Answer: (C)

Grouping personality disorders by clusters helps capture patterns in how people think, feel, and relate to others. The anxious/fearful cluster includes avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders. Each of these shares a tendency toward anxiety, worry about others’ judgment, and a cautious or controlling way of behaving. Avoidant personality disorder involves social inhibition and hypersensitivity to rejection, so people may avoid social situations despite wanting relationships. Dependent personality disorder features an overpowering need to be cared for, with submissive and clingy behavior and difficulty making decisions without reassurance. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is marked by perfectionism, a strong need for order, and rigidity, prioritizing control and rules over flexibility. Although they differ in specifics, they all center on fear, insecurity, and a desire to manage potential loss of control or negative evaluation, which ties them together in this cluster. In contrast, other clusters group disorders by different patterns—one cluster is about odd or eccentric thinking and behavior, and another is about dramatic, emotional, or impulsive patterns. Also, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is not the same as obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is an anxiety disorder, not a personality disorder.

Grouping personality disorders by clusters helps capture patterns in how people think, feel, and relate to others. The anxious/fearful cluster includes avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders. Each of these shares a tendency toward anxiety, worry about others’ judgment, and a cautious or controlling way of behaving.

Avoidant personality disorder involves social inhibition and hypersensitivity to rejection, so people may avoid social situations despite wanting relationships. Dependent personality disorder features an overpowering need to be cared for, with submissive and clingy behavior and difficulty making decisions without reassurance. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is marked by perfectionism, a strong need for order, and rigidity, prioritizing control and rules over flexibility. Although they differ in specifics, they all center on fear, insecurity, and a desire to manage potential loss of control or negative evaluation, which ties them together in this cluster.

In contrast, other clusters group disorders by different patterns—one cluster is about odd or eccentric thinking and behavior, and another is about dramatic, emotional, or impulsive patterns. Also, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is not the same as obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is an anxiety disorder, not a personality disorder.