title: One-year follow-up of patients with cluster C personality disorders: a prospective study comparing patients with "pure" and comorbid conditions within cluster C, and "pure" C with "pure" cluster A or B conditions.
abstract: This one-year, post-treatment prospective study of consecutively admitted patients to a national psychiatric in-patient clinic, compares patients belonging to four subgroups of DSM-III-R personality disorder (PDs): "pure cluster A (N = 21), "pure" B (N = 67), "pure" C (N = 251), and Axis II "comorbid" C (N = 138). Outcome was measured by SCl-90 and occupational status. Axis I disorders were controlled for in all analyses. Contrary to our hypothesis, patients in pure cluster C had no better outcome than either Axis II comorbid cluster C patients or patients with pure cluster A or B. Although pure C patients relapsed in symptom distress after discharge, comorbid C patients did not. C patients with an additional Histrionic PD were less at risk to be a case at follow up (GSI level > 1.00). Cluster C disorders as a whole had negative impact upon outcome in the total sample. These findings suggest the need for better treatment of patients with cluster C conditions.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, University of Oslo, N-0317 Oslo, Norway. tore.gude@basalmed.uio.no
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gude
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vaglum
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome