Diagnosing personality disorders in psychiatric inpatients

Abstract

This study investigated assumptions made by DSM-III and DSM-III-R regarding Axis I - Axis II associations and sex differences for the 11 personality disorders (PD). A total of 112 patients formed 4 Axis I diagnostic groups: recent-onset schizophrenia (n= 35); recent-onset mania (n= 26); unipolar affective disorder (n= 30); and a mixed diagnostic group (n= 21). The prevalence of PD was determined using the Structured Interview for DSM-III Personality Disorders (SIDP). Schizophrenia was associated with antisocial PD and schizotypal PD; manic disorder was associated with histrionic PD; and unipolar affective disorder was associated with borderline, dependent and avoidant PD. Some of these results were consistent with DSM-III/DSM-III-R postulates. However, there was little support for the DSM-III/DSM-III-R statements on sex differences in the prevalence of PD, except for antisocial PD. The implications of the results for DSM-III/DSM-III-R assumptions are discussed.