Interpersonal disorder in schizoid and avoidant personality disorders: an attachment perspective.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the characteristics related to avoidant attachment of 13 schizoid/avoidant psychiatric outpatients and 20 nonschizoid/avoidant psychiatric outpatients.


METHODS
Three scales ("maintains distance in relationships", "high priority on self-sufficiency" and "attachment relationship is a threat to security") differentiated schizoid and avoidant personality disordered patients from other personality disordered patients.


RESULTS
The results are discussed in terms of the attachment and DSM diagnostic models of avoidant styles in relationships.


CONCLUSIONS
The 2 groups of schizoid and avoidant personality disordered patients were not significantly different on the desire for close affectional bonds scale.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Alberta.
M
M
West
M S
MS
Rose
A
A
Sheldon-Keller
D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012929:Psychological Distance; D011594:Psychometrics; D011613:Psychotherapy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012557:Schizoid Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D012649:Self Concept