Dependent personality disorder is characterized by a need to be taken care of by others and submissive behavior stemming from a fear of separation. It is thought to develop from overprotective parenting or childhood anxiety/illness. Common presenting issues include depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. Diagnosis requires a pervasive need for care from others and difficulty with independence in multiple contexts. Treatment focuses on building independence through techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy to address unconscious dependency and develop self-confidence.

1. Dependable Personality Disorder
(DPD)

2. Ethological Factors
Dependent personality disorder may be caused by:
1) Combination of biological and developmental
factors.
2) People exposed to authoritarian or
overprotective parenting styles.
3) Chronic physical illness.
4) Separation anxiety during childhood.
Introduction
Dependent personality disorder (DPD) is
described as the need to be cared for by others.
This condition results in submissive and clingy
behavior,
a fear of separation, and difficulty making
decisions without reassurance from others.
DPD appears to occur equally among males and
females, and usually first appears in early-to-
middle adulthood.

3. Presenting Complaints
In a study of 400 consecutive outpatients, Whitman et al.
(1954) noted that 23% had a passive-dependent personality,
the most prevalent personality type. Their presenting
complaints included:
depression (36%)
anxiety (29%)
somatic symptoms (11%)
phobias (7%)
situational reactions (7%)
Agoraphobia, with or without panic attacks, and eating
disorders were also common
whereas alcohol and substance abuse were less common,
than in other types of personality disorders.
Assessment Tools
1) Questionnaires
2) Interviews

4. Diagnosis
A pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of
that leads to submissive and clinging behavior and
fears of separation, beginning by early adulthood
and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated
by five (or more) of the following:
1) Inability to make everyday decisions.
2) Avoidance of personal responsibility.
3) Bouncing from relationship to relationship
4) Difficulty being alone.
5) Avoidance of disagreement with others out of
fear of losing support or approval.
6) Willingness to tolerate mistreatment and abuse
from others.
7) Placing the needs of their caregivers above their
own.
8) Over-sensitivity to criticism.
9) Pessimism and lack of self-confidence, including
a belief that they are unable to care for themselves
Difficulty beginning projects

5. interventions plan
Goal 1:
Express an improved consciousness or awareness of his or her
dependency traits.
Therapeutic Interventions For Goal 1:
Construct a family genogram to boost client's understanding
of family patterns of dependence in relationships and how he
or she is reiterating them in present relationships.
Provide reading or media resources that increase
understanding of dependency and process key point in
therapy.
Goal 2:
Identify incorrect habitual of fears being alone, or inability
to keep personal dependability boundaries.
Therapeutic Interventions For Goal 2:
Examine and recognize client's inaccurate, unconstructive
habitual thoughts linked with lack of assertiveness, fear of
being alone, or not meeting others needs. Examine and shed
light on fears of other feelings related with being more
independent. Aid client in developing positive, reality-based
messages for self that must substitute the distorted,
negative self-talk

6. Therapy
Psychotherapy is the primary treatment for
dependent personality. The focus of therapy is
typically on helping people to become more
independent.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be used to
help an individual challenge negative thoughts and
start engaging in more independent behaviors.
Psychodynamic therapy is particularly effective for
treating dependent personality. A psychodynamic
therapist works to explore the root of the
dependency and the unconscious processes that
perpetuate it. The therapist must make sure the
person in therapy does not become dependent on
them.
The goal of treatment is to foster independence, and
therapy should make the individual feel more capable
of caring for themselves.