Personality Disorders May Be Undiagnosed in Older Adults

Personality disorders are fairly common, effecting approximately 9% of U.S. adults. Yet in older adults personality disorders often aren’t recognized, formally diagnosed, or treated. Instead, these disorders may be dismissed or attributed to personality quirks. People with avoidant and dependent personalities may seem eager to please or to prevent conflict or drama, whereas someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder may just seem extremely neat and organized.