Preview build — content shown here has not yet cleared independent review and is not the public release.
ICD-10 Learning Lab Exit Presentation Mode

Category: F60 F61 F62 F63 F64 F65 F66 F68 F69

F62 — Enduring personality changes, not attributable to brain damage and disease: facilitator sheet

Teaching objective

The decisive test for F62 is the presence of a clear personality baseline that has genuinely changed — a definite before-and-after — following a specific, identifiable precipitant, rather than a pattern that has simply been present since adolescence (which would instead point to F60/F61).

Choose material

Worked example · Case: Different, after the disaster · Case: Was he always like this?

Worked example

Show scenario

A 45-year-old, previously described by family as easygoing, sociable, and trusting, has shown a persistently different personality in the three years since being held captive for several months during a kidnapping: he is now guarded, socially withdrawn, and quick to perceive hostility in others' ordinary behaviour, a pattern that has not eased since his return.

(or reveal one step at a time below)
  1. Reveal step 1

    Step 1 — Establish the previous baseline: family describes him as easygoing, sociable, and trusting before the event.

  2. Reveal step 2

    Step 2 — Identify the precipitant: captivity during a kidnapping, a catastrophic experience.

  3. Reveal step 3

    Step 3 — Confirm the change is enduring: guarded, withdrawn, and suspicious for three years since, without easing.

  4. Reveal step 4

    Conclusion — F62.0, Enduring personality change after catastrophic experience — the documented before-and-after contrast and the specific precipitant together support this over a lifelong personality disorder.

Comparison points

F62 requires a documented, previously different personality baseline and a definite, enduring change following a specific catastrophic experience or psychiatric illness — not a pattern present since adolescence.

Discussion prompts

(or reveal one at a time below)
  1. Prompt 1

    State the two things that must both be established before F62 applies.

  2. Prompt 2

    Name the two specific precipitants F62's subcodes distinguish between.

  3. Prompt 3

    Explain why F62 is the opposite of F60 in terms of onset.

Summary

F62 requires a documented, previously different personality and a definite, enduring change following a specific catastrophic experience or psychiatric illness.