Temporal coherence of criteria for four personality disorders

J Pers Disord. 2004 Aug;18(4):394-8. doi: 10.1521/pedi.18.4.394.40351.

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the coherence of changes observed in diagnostic criteria for borderline, schizotypal, obsessive-compulsive, and avoidant personality disorders. Five hundred, forty-nine patients were independently evaluated 2 years apart, and correlations of observed changes in each diagnostic criterion with changes in other criteria were examined to determine if there was within-syndrome consistency in these changes. The observed changes in criteria were consistent within syndrome (median alpha = 0.72 across 4 disorders), and reasonably specific to that syndrome relative to the other disorders. The results support the validity of these criterion sets as representing coherent syndromes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Borderline Personality Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Borderline Personality Disorder / psychology*
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders*
  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / psychology*
  • Personality Assessment*
  • Personality Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Personality Disorders / psychology*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Schizotypal Personality Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Schizotypal Personality Disorder / psychology*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Time Factors