Date

9-17-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision (PhD)

Chair

Lynn Bohecker

Keywords

personality disorder, attachment styles, women, diagnostic biases

Disciplines

Counseling

Abstract

Clinicians are increasingly motivated to understand inequities in mental health diagnoses. This interest may emerge from observing multiple clients struggling with similar challenges, recognizing gaps in relevant research, or experiencing personal circumstances that prompt deeper inquiry into current conditions and their root causes. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological transcendental study was to describe the marital experiences of women who are in relationships with men who exhibit Cluster B personality disorder traits. Cluster B personality disorder traits include unstable relationships, emotional dysregulation, lack of empathy, and erratic behaviors. Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, guided this study as it described how Cluster B personality disorders originate and the fears and experiences the behaviors are based on. This study focused on the output of Cluster B behaviors in marital relationships and the experiences of the women. The study focused on the woman because research has been done with men and husbands but very little has been done to examine the experiences of women. This study focused on the diagnostic gender bias within Cluster B disorders. Semistructured interviews were conducted for data collection. The data were coded and themed based on the modified Van Kaam method of phenomenological data analysis.

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