Amendment of Statement of Principles concerning personality disorder No. 14 of 1997

Administered by Department of Veterans' Affairs

Legislation au F2008B00315 Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Instrument No.14 of 1997

 

 

Amendment of Statement of Principles

concerning

PERSONALITY DISORDER

ICD CODES: 301.0, 301.10, 301.11, 301.12, 301.2 - 301.9

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
subsection 196B(3)

 

The Repatriation Medical Authority amends, under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (the Act), Instrument No.144 of 1995, (Statement of Principles concerning personality disorder), by:

 

1. omitting the words “ICD CODE: 301” in the heading of the Instrument and replacing them with the following:

 

ICD CODES: 301.0, 301.10, 301.11, 301.12, 301.2 - 301.9

 

2. omitting the definitions of “ICD code” and “personality disorder” in paragraph 4 and replacing them with the following definitions:

 

'ICD code' means a number assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in the Australian Version of The International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), effective date of 1 July 1996, copyrighted by the National Coding Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW, and having ISBN 0 642 24447 2;

 

‘personality disorder’ means a psychiatric condition, attracting ICD code 301.0, 301.10, 301.11, 301.12 or a code in the range 301.2 to 301.9, derived from DSM-IV, meeting the following criteria,

 

(a) an enduring pattern of inner experience and behaviour that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture, manifested in at least two of the following areas:

 

(i) cognition (ie. ways of perceiving and interpreting self, other people and events);

(ii) affectivity (ie. the range, intensity, lability, and appropriateness of emotional response);

(iii) interpersonal functioning;

(iv) impulse control; and

 

(b) the enduring pattern is inflexible and operative across a broad range of personal and social situations; and

 

(c) the enduring pattern leads to clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas eg. functioning; and

 

(d) the pattern is stable and of long duration and its onset can be traced back at least to adolescence or early adulthood; and

 

(e) the enduring pattern is not better accounted for as a manifestation or consequence of another mental disorder; and

 

(f) the enduring pattern is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (eg. a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (eg. head trauma), and may be identified as any of the following:

 

(i) paranoid personality disorder attracting ICD code 301.0;

(ii) schizoid personality disorder attracting ICD code 301.2;

(iii) schizo typal personality disorder attracting ICD code 301.22;

(iv) antisocial personality disorder attracting ICD code 301.7;

(v) borderline personality disorder attracting ICD code 301.83;

(vi) histrionic personality disorder attracting ICD code 301.50;

(vii) narcissistic personality disorder attracting ICD code 301.81;

(viii) avoidant personality disorder attracting ICD code 301.82;

(ix) dependent personality disorder attracting ICD code 301.6;


(x) obsessive-compulsive personality disorder attracting ICD code 301.4;

(xi) personality disorder not otherwise specified attracting ICD code 301.9.

 

Note: The above criteria are derived from DSM-IV.”.

 

 

3. The amendments made by this instrument apply to all matters to which Instrument No.144 of 1995 and section 120B of the Act apply.

 

 

Dated this Twenty-second  day of       January              1997

 

 

 

The Common Seal of the    )

Repatriation Medical Authority   )

was affixed to this instrument  )

in the presence of:    )

 

KEN DONALD

CHAIRMAN

Overview

The Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, enacted by the Australian Parliament, provides benefits to veterans and their dependants, including those suffering from mental health conditions. To address the specific issue of personality disorders among veterans, the Repatriation Medical Authority amended the Statement of Principles concerning Personality Disorder in 1997. This amendment aimed to expand the definition and criteria for personality disorders to more accurately reflect the range of conditions experienced by veterans. The Repatriation Medical Authority, under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act, modified Instrument No.144 of 1995 by updating the ICD codes and the definitions of "ICD code" and "personality disorder" to incorporate the DSM-IV criteria, ensuring that the classification and recognition of personality disorders in veterans are comprehensive and clinically relevant.

Scope and Application

The Legislative Instrument No.14 of 1997 amends the Statement of Principles concerning personality disorder under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, broadening the scope of the Act to include a wider range of personality disorders for the purposes of veterans' entitlements. This amendment applies to all matters governed by Instrument No.144 of 1995 and section 120B of the Act. The Repatriation Medical Authority has expanded the definitions of "ICD code" and "personality disorder," now encompassing a more comprehensive list of disorders, specifically those assigned codes from 301.0 to 301.9 in the Australian Version of The International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM). This change ensures that veterans suffering from a broader spectrum of personality disorders may qualify for entitlements, provided their conditions meet the specified criteria outlined in the DSM-IV and the ICD-9-CM. The amendments do not introduce any exclusions or exemptions but rather extend the existing provisions to cover additional disorders, ensuring a more inclusive approach to veterans' healthcare entitlements.

Key Provisions

The key provisions of this legislation amend the Statement of Principles concerning personality disorder, which is a legislative instrument under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986. The amendments are made under subsection 196B(3) of the Act and are detailed in Instrument No.14 of 1997. Firstly, the heading of the instrument is amended to reflect a broader range of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes related to personality disorders. Specifically, the heading now includes "ICD CODES: 301.0, 301.10, 301.11, 301.12, 301.2 - 301.9" (1). Secondly, the definitions of "ICD code" and "personality disorder" are revised to provide a more comprehensive understanding of these terms. The "ICD code" is now defined as a number assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in the Australian Version of The International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), effective as of 1 July 1996 (2). "Personality disorder" is defined as a psychiatric condition meeting specific criteria, including an enduring pattern of inner experience and behaviour that deviates markedly from cultural expectations, leading to clinically significant distress or impairment (2). This legislation imposes certain obligations and requirements on the parties or entities it governs. For instance, the new definitions of "ICD code" and "personality disorder" must be adhered to when assessing claims related to personality disorders under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986. These definitions ensure that claims are evaluated based on a consistent and recognised understanding of the relevant ICD codes and the criteria for diagnosing personality disorders. Furthermore, the amendments apply to all matters to which Instrument No.144 of 1995 and section 120B of the Act apply (3). The legislation does not explicitly outline offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breach. However, non-compliance with the amended Statement of Principles concerning personality disorder could potentially lead to disputes or challenges in the assessment and approval of claims related to personality disorders under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986. Such disputes might result in the need for further clarification or legal action to ensure the proper application of the legislation. It is essential for practitioners to be aware of the amended definitions and criteria to avoid potential issues in claim assessments.

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