Dependent Personality Disorder in People living with Chronic illness

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? NE
Is it more common among people living with chronic illness? Physical dependence can obscure or amplify psychological dependency
Are people living with chronic illness at higher risk? No evidence illness causes DPD
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? Strong Yes
How might it look different? Legitimate need for care may coexist with excessive reassurance seeking, inability to make unrelated decisions or intense fear of losing support
What commonly occurs alongside it? Depression; anxiety
What can it be confused with? Physical dependency; adjustment disorder; depression; cognitive impairment
Common screening tool DPQ — Dependent Personality Questionnaire
Separate screening tool for people living with chronic illness None
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