Dependent Personality Disorder

Dependent personality disorder is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive dependence on other people and subsequent submissiveness and clinginess, in which individuals struggle to make independent decisions and seek constant reassurance from others. Traits typically emerge in childhood or early adulthood, with 18 to 29 year olds having a greater chance of developing the disorder, and a 2004 twin study suggested a heritability of 0.81. A survey of 43,093 Americans found that 0.49 percent of adults met diagnostic criteria, with a higher rate in women, 0.6 percent, than men, 0.4 percent, and the DSM-5-TR classifies it as a Cluster C, anxious or fearful, personality disorder.