What Are Cluster D Personality Disorders?

No cluster D of personality disorders appears in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR). The manual only designates clusters A, B, and C as formal groups for personality disorders.

The DSM-5-TR is the primary diagnostic reference used by many mental health professionals in the United States. At present, it lists 10 personality disorders sorted into three clusters (A, B, and C) according to shared traits and patterns.

A personality disorder refers to a persistent pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving that shows up across multiple areas of life and often differs markedly from how others in the same culture or situation typically act. These patterns cause distress and interfere with how a person views themself and interacts with the world.

While disorders within clusters A, B, and C share overarching features, each specific personality disorder has distinct diagnostic criteria.

What are the official personality disorder clusters?

The DSM-5-TR organizes personality disorders into three clusters. Only clusters A, B, and C are acknowledged — there is no cluster D.

Below are the 10 formally recognized personality disorders:

• Cluster A: The DSM-5-TR describes these disorders as involving odd or eccentric behaviors and trouble forming close relationships. Cluster A disorders include:
  Paranoid personality disorder: A tendency to interpret events and other people’s actions as threatening or critical, fostering distrust and anger toward others.
  Schizoid personality disorder: A marked lack of interest in forming social connections, including with family, and a preference for solitary pursuits most of the time.
  Schizotypal personality disorder: Eccentricities in dress, speech, and behavior, a distorted sense of self and others, and a persistent reluctance to engage socially due to mistrust.
• Cluster B: Disorders in this group are notable for emotional volatility, impulsivity, and dramatic behavior. Cluster B disorders include:
  Antisocial personality disorder: Historically labeled psychopathy or sociopathy, this disorder can involve impulsive, manipulative, or aggressive acts, limited empathy, and a lack of remorse.
  Borderline personality disorder: Characterized by rapid shifts in mood and self-image, intense despair when fearing abandonment, and sometimes manipulative behaviors to gain attention.
  Histrionic personality disorder: A chronic need for attention and approval combined with exaggerated, theatrical expressions of emotion.
  Narcissistic personality disorder: Marked by grandiosity, manipulative behavior, low empathy, hypersensitivity to criticism, and fantasies of power or superiority.
• Cluster C: Disorders in this category share anxious and fearful features. Cluster C disorders include:
  Avoidant personality disorder: Characterized by social avoidance, reluctance to embrace change, and an intense fear of rejection.
  Dependent personality disorder: Involves an ongoing fear of separation and rejection, a need for others to make decisions, self-doubt, conflict avoidance, and people-pleasing behaviors.
  Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: Different from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), this personality disorder features extreme concern with rules, order, perfectionism, and inflexibility.

Takeaway

There is no cluster D in the DSM-5-TR. The manual recognizes 10 personality disorders that are classified into clusters A, B, and C based on shared behavioral patterns and characteristics.