title: Diagnosis of personality disorders in learning disability.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Though contentious, the diagnosis of personality disorders in persons with learning disability is clinically relevant because it affects many aspects of management.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine published literature on the diagnosis of personality disorders in learning disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Selective review with computerised (Medline, Embase and PsychInfo) and manual literature searches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The variation in the co-occurrence of personality disorder in learning disability, with prevalence ranging from less than 1% to 91% in a community setting and 22% to 92% in hospital settings, is very great and too large to be explained by real differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The diagnosis of personality disorders in learning disability is complex and difficult, particularly in those with severe disability. Developing consensus diagnostic criteria, specific for various developmental levels, is one way forward. Such criteria may need to include objective proxy measures such as behavioural observations and informant accounts.
authors.affiliation: Leicester Frith Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: Regi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Sherva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cooray
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012557:Schizoid Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis