title: Patterns of comorbidity among DSM-III-R personality disorders.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine patterns of comorbidity among personality disorders (PDs) in a sample of 156 psychiatric inpatients. PDs were assessed with Semistructured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders. To determine significant co-occurrence among axis II diagnoses, odds ratio and the percent of co-occurrence of pairs of disorders were calculated. Both statistical methods revealed high rates of comorbidity: significance association was found for 36 pairs of disorders using the percent of co-occurrence, and for 22 pairs of disorders using the odds ratio. These results support the concept of 'apparent comorbidity' for most PDs, deriving from conceptual and definitional artifacts or from a 'state-biasing effect'. In light of these observations, a categorical approach to PDs, resulting in a list of diagnoses, appears useless in psychiatric practice. A dimensional classification is probably better suited for PDs, improving the understanding of personality psychopathology and its clinical implications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of L'Aquila, Città S. Angelo, Italy.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Marinangeli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Butti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scinto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Cicco
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Petruzzi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Daneluzzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology