Minimal Emotional Dysfunctions (MED) in Personality Disorders: A Narrative Review

Emotional dysfunctions are fundamental to understanding personality disorders (PDs). The Minimal Emotional Dysfunctions (MED) model offers a systematic approach by categorizing these dysfunctions into disorders of affect modulation, production, and quality. It posits that PDs are primarily emotional disorders, with emotional disturbances shaping cognitive and interpersonal difficulties. This narrative review synthesizes empirical research on emotional dysfunctions in PDs, focusing on their classification within the MED model. A selective literature search integrated relevant findings to provide a framework for understanding emotional disturbances in PDs. The review highlights that dysfunctions of affect modulation, production, and quality manifest in distinct patterns across PDs and can be classified within the MED model. Emotional dysfunctions are a core feature of PDs and require more nuanced diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The dimensional framework of ICD-11 and the MED model offers valuable perspectives for understanding the complexity of emotional disturbances in PDs.