Mnemonics for DSM-IV personality disorders

Psychiatr Serv. 1997 Sep;48(9):1197-8. doi: 10.1176/ps.48.9.1197.

Abstract

The paper presents several mnemonics to assist clinicians in recalling DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for personality disorders. The mnemonics are acronyms, and each letter is associated with a specific criterion. Each acronym reflects a facet of the related disorder; for example, the acronym for the diagnostic criteria for paranoid personality disorder is SUSPECT, and for histrionic personality disorder it is PRAISE ME. The mnemonics have been used to teach students and residents the conceptual nature of DSM-IV disorders and to help them remember the criteria.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Internship and Residency
  • Mental Recall
  • Personality Disorders / classification
  • Personality Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychiatry / education*