PERSONALITY OR DISORDER? PERSONALITY DISORDERS

psikolojiozel10-1-25kapak

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Gizem ATEŞ ÖZKANa , Melek ÖZDENa
aİstinye University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, İstanbul, Türkiye

Ateş Özkan G, Özden M. Histrionic personality disorder. Tunç P, ed. Personality or Disorder? Personality Disorders. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2025. p.47-54.

ABSTRACT
Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) is a mental disorder characterized by excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5), it is classified under Cluster B personality disorders, along with antisocial, borderline, and narcissistic personality disorders. The origins of HPD trace back to the concept of ”hysteria”, which is no longer used for diagnostic purposes today but dates back to Ancient Greece. Various researchers in the 18th and 19th centuries tried to understand hysteria. Freud’s work with hysteria patients pioneered the conceptualization of the hysterical personality, which holds a significant place in the psychoanalytic approach. This chapter focuses on the characteristics of the histrionic personality from a psychodynamic perspective. It outlines the organization level of the histrionic personality, id, drives and affect, defense mechanisms, and object relations. With this chapter, researchers and clinicians are expected to understand HPD and its associated features better. By providing a comprehensive overview of HPD, this chapter aims to reduce misconceptions and offer a better understanding of the condition.

Keywords: Histrionic personality; histrionic; hysteria; personality disorder; psychodynamic approach

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