Patterns of anxiety and personality disorder comorbidity

J Psychiatr Res. 1995 Sep-Oct;29(5):361-74. doi: 10.1016/0022-3956(95)00015-w.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of comorbidity of DSM-III-R anxiety disorders and personality disorders (PD). Two-hundred subjects were independently interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) and the Personality Disorder Examination (PDE) face-to-face by two experienced clinicians. One-hundred and forty-six also completed the Personality Diagnositc Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R). Rates of personality disorder among patients with and without anxiety disorders were determined by each of the three instruments. Comorbidity between panic disorder social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and simple phobia and a conservative estimate of individual Axis II disorders was examined. Results indicate that panic disorder, either current or lifetime, is associated with borderline, avoidant, and dependent personality disorders: social phobia is associated with avoidant personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder is associated with obsessive-compulsive and avoidant personality disorders. Anxiety disorders with personality disorders are characterized by chronicity and lower levels of functioning compared with anxiety disorders without personality disorders.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis
  • Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology
  • Chronic Disease
  • Comorbidity
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / psychology
  • Personality Assessment
  • Personality Disorders / diagnosis
  • Personality Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Personality Disorders / psychology
  • Phobic Disorders / diagnosis
  • Phobic Disorders / epidemiology
  • Phobic Disorders / psychology
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales