Abstract: Recently, many psychologists abroad have been working in the integration of basic theories of personality structure with the studies of personality disorders. There is especially big progress in the studies of the five-factor model (FFM) of personality disorder. This paper chiefly summarize the relevant studies and discuss the possibility to use FFM into the clinical diagnosis and interventions. The directions for future research are also given at the end

Key words: personality disorder, the five-factor model, prototypic case, diagnostic criteria