The DSM‐5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders introduced a dimensional perspective on personality disorders and their assessment by measuring personality functioning in the following domains: Identity, Self‐Direction, Empathy, and Intimacy. This study provides a replication of the psychometric evaluation of the Semi‐Structured Interview for Personality Functioning DSM‐5 (STiP‐5.1) within a mixed clinical sample and a community sample. The sample consisted of 188 adults: 86 participants from the general population and 102 people from a mixed clinical sample. All participants completed the STiP‐5.1 and Level of Personality Functioning Scale–Brief Form (LPFS‐BF 2.0). Results showed good internal consistency (McDonald's ω = 0.89–0.94) and promising convergent validity (correlations with LPFS‐BF 2.0 above 0.6) of the STiP‐5.1. Its scores differentiated participants within the community sample from those in the mixed clinical sample with large effect sizes (rrb = 0.77–0.88). Moreover, the impairment in personality functioning was more pronounced in people with personality disorders than in other psychiatric disorders (medium effect size, rrb = 0.46–0.57), supporting the notion of a continuum of personality functioning impairment. The STiP‐5.1 therefore offers an instrument with satisfactory psychometric properties for the assessment of personality functioning both for research and clinical practice.

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IntroductionPeople with personality disorders (PD) share some impairments in personality functioning (e.g. identity, intimacy, empathy) that are also associated with inner or interpersonal conflicts, and sometimes also with different strategies of moral disengagement (MD). It is unclear whether MD strategies are related to individuals with/without PD and their willingness to have social contacts with representatives of otherness (like minorities, physically handicapped, etc.).ObjectivesComparison of the differences in MD strategies and social distance to the otherness of healthy controls and people with PD, and the influence of personality functioning.MethodsMoral Disengagement Scale which measures eight MD strategies, the Semi-Structured Interview for Personality Functioning DSM-5 assessing the Self and Interpersonal functioning, and Bogardus Social Distance Scale measuring perceived social distance toward various representatives of otherness are applied in two samples (general population and personality disorders).ResultsPeople with PD showed a significantly higher propensity to use various MD strategies than healthy controls with moderate effect size (.34–.49). Moral disengagement is facilitated by different aspects of personality functioning in both samples, sharing the impairments in maintaining close relationships. Both samples differed in MD strategies connected with higher social distancing.ConclusionsPeople with PD are more prone to moral disengagement than healthy adults. MD appears to be facilitated by different aspects of personality functioning in both samples. Some representants of otherness are more related to specific MD strategies. We hypothesize that understanding of specific MD strategies used by people with PD can provide insight and explain some of their behavior.