Avoidant Personality Disorder in People living with Chronic illness

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? Not established universal
Is it more common among people living with chronic illness? Chronic illness can amplify social withdrawal but doesn't establish AvPD
Are people living with chronic illness at higher risk? Some contextual association
How much higher is the risk? NE
How often can it be missed? Very High
Does it show up differently among people living with chronic illness? Yes contextually
How might it look different? Illness-related limitations can provide an apparent explanation for withdrawal, obscuring longstanding fear of evaluation
What commonly occurs alongside it? Depression; anxiety
What can it be confused with? Social anxiety; depression; adjustment disorder; disability-related withdrawal
Common screening tool SAPAS — Standardised Assessment of Personality–Abbreviated Scale → clinical evaluation
Separate screening tool for people living with chronic illness None
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