Personality (dys)Function and Psychological Readiness for Specialised Naval Utilisation: A Validation of the PID-5-BF+M

Personality dysfunction is increasingly conceptualised dimensionally, yet evidence for the occupational validity of contemporary personality disorder models in military settings remains limited. This study examined psychometric validity and applied utility of the PID-5-BF+M in a naval sample (N = 1874) using archival occupational health data. Structural validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and gender-based measurement invariance testing, while internal consistency, construct validity, and associations with resilience, borderline personality indicators, and real-world adjustment outcomes were also examined. The six-domain structure of the PID-5-BF+M was supported, with acceptable internal consistency for the total score and most domains. Negative affectivity and disinhibition showed expected associations with borderline personality indicators, while higher personality dysfunction was moderately associated with lower resilience. Notably, negative affectivity and detachment independently predicted probable ICD-11 Adjustment Disorder, explaining approximately 30% of variance. Algorithm-based identification of possible personality disorder yielded markedly different prevalence estimates depending on facet- versus domain-level thresholds, highlighting risks of false-positive classification in occupational samples. Elevated anankastia traits were common but largely unrelated to maladjustment, suggesting contextual adaptiveness in structured naval environments. Findings support the PID-5-BF+M total score as a pragmatic global index of personality dysfunction severity for use in occupational health screening, while underlining the necessity of context-sensitive, multi-method interpretation. Personality assessment in military settings should prioritise functional impairment over trait elevation per se.