Avoidant Personality Disorder in People living alone

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? Not established living-alone prevalence
Is it more common among people living alone? Social isolation and living arrangements are highly relevant consequences/context, but direction is unclear
Are people living alone at higher risk? Association plausible, but living alone doesn't establish AvPD
How much higher is the risk? NE
How often can it be missed? Very High
Does it show up differently among people living alone? Strong Yes
How might it look different? Strong desire for relationships may coexist with severe avoidance; living alone can reduce immediate anxiety while reinforcing isolation
What commonly occurs alongside it? Depression; social anxiety
What can it be confused with? Schizoid PD; social anxiety; autism; depression
Common screening tool SAPAS — Standardised Assessment of Personality–Abbreviated Scale → clinical evaluation
Separate screening tool for people living alone None
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