On the homogeneity of personality disorder clusters.
This study was conducted using as subjects persons seeking psychiatric care in a public intake facility. Patients who received a diagnosis of a personality disorder (PD) on axis II constituted the study sample. The study is unique in that it attempts to analyze in a treatment population the relationships between all of the personality disorders (PD) stipulated in DSM-III with emphasis on their relationships to the associated features recorded in the remaining axes of DSM-III. The specific aim of the study was to determine the variation that exists with respect to clinical and demographic variables across the PD clusters categorized in DSM-III and across the PD types of each of the DSM-III PD clusters. In general, considerable inhomogeneity was shown within and across clusters in both demographic and clinical variables, although differences among clusters were noted as well. Cluster B differs prominently from its cohorts with respect to demographic and clinical characteristics. Some of the limitations of these results are emphasized.
Fabrega
H
H
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, PA 15213.
Ulrich
R
R
Pilkonis
P
P
Mezzich
J
J
D000328:Adult; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics