title: Patterns of covariation of DSM-IV personality disorders in a mixed psychiatric sample.
abstract: The covariation patterns of DSM-IV personality disorders (PDs) were studied in 431 consecutively admitted psychiatric patients. The co-occurrence rate was greater than 50% for all DSM-IV PDs. Both bivariate association tests and loglinear models showed distinct significant covariation patterns among PDs which were stable across confounder strata. DSM-IV PD clusters were not replicated, with the exception of cluster A. Principal-component analysis (PCA) showed the presence of 3 latent dimensions, thus explaining the DSM-IV PD covariation patterns. These results seem to stress the inadequacy of the DSM-IV categorical model of PD assessment. The need for a reduction of axis II categories and the inclusion of a dimensional model in the diagnostic assessment of DSM-IV PDs are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Unit, Faculty of Psychology, Vita Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fossati
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maffei
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bagnato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Donini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiorilli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Novella
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prolo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010343:Patient Admission; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results