Investigating Histrionic Personality Disorder in Islamic Doctrines and Comparing It with Psychological Findings

One of the considerable personality disorders in the field of psychology is “Histrionic Personality Disorder.” This disorder is a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking, throughout which patient’s emotions and affections transform into physical symptoms. A similar disorder is discussed in Islamic doctrines. This study aims to present the results of the investigation of this disorder in Islamic doctrines and underline the degree of convergence between psychological findings and such doctrines as well. Accordingly, the nature, cause, and diagnostic criteria of this disorder in Islam and psychology must be considered and, finally, a comparison be made between them. The investigations show that in view of Islamic doctrines, Histrionic Disorder is a cognitive-emotional disorder, characterized by overall instability of patients' personality and histrionic behavior opposing their true self. These patients meet all the seven psychology-related diagnostic criteria for Histrionic Disorder and overlap with psychology in characteristics such as exhibitionist and seductive behavior, seeking for attention and admiration, shallow and indecisive emotional performance, suggestibility, depression and loneliness, and weariness and lack of motivation, but such overlap is not seen in other dimensions. Meanwhile, the physical embodiment of emotional and affective causes does not exist in this disorder.