Definition

A person with a passive-aggressive behavior pattern may appear to comply or act appropriately, but actually behaves negatively and passively resists. In the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, passive-aggressiveness is not officially characterized as a personality disorder. Instead, passive-aggressiveness is labeled as an area that needs further study.

Causes

The cause of passive-aggressiveness is unknown. There may be environmental and genetic factors that contribute to the development of this behavior pattern.

Risk Factors

Factors that may increase your chance of passive-aggressive behavior include:

• Childhood abuse or neglect
• Harsh punishment

Symptoms

Passive-aggressive behavior includes:

• Contradictory and inconsistent behavior—A person with this behavior pattern may appear enthusiastic to carry out others’ requests, but purposely performs in a manner that is not useful and sometimes even damaging.
• Intentional avoidance of responsibility—Some behaviors that may be used to avoid responsibility include:
  • Procrastination—to delay or postpone needlessly and intentionally
  • Deliberate inefficiency—purposefully performing in an incompetent manner
  • Forgetfulness
• Feelings of resentment toward others
• Stubbornness
• Argumentative, sulky, and hostile, especially toward authority figures
• Easily offended
• Resentful of useful suggestions from others
• Blames others
• Chronically impatient
• Unexpressed anger or hostility

Diagnosis

A mental health professional diagnoses passive-aggressiveness after doing a psychological evaluation. This may include a range of mental health and neurological tests to assess how the brain is functioning.

Treatment

There is no medication available for passive-aggressiveness. If anxiety or depression is also involved, your doctor may prescribe antidepressants. Antidepressants are medications that ease the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Counseling can help you become aware of the problem and acknowledge the need to change.

Prevention

There are no current guidelines to prevent passive-aggressive behavior.

Mental Health America http://www.nmha.org

Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca

Personality disorders. Mental Health America website. Available at:
http://www.nmha.org/index.cfm?objectId=C7DF8E96-1372-4D20-C87D9CD4FB6BE82F
Accessed August 13, 2013.