title: Predictors of stable personality disorder diagnoses in outpatients with remitted depression.
abstract: This study examined the stability of comorbid personality disorder diagnoses once an outpatient's depression remitted. The sample consisted of 75 outpatients who responded to treatment in an 8-week acute treatment phase for depression, who met criteria for remission throughout a 26-week continuation phase, and who completed a personality assessment (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R-axis II Disorders) at the beginning and at the end of each treatment phase. The authors found that after a major depressive disorder is successfully treated, personality disorder diagnoses remain stable across time during continuation treatment. Gender was the only potential predictor variable that was significant: the proportion of men who had a stable personality disorder diagnosis in cluster A or cluster B was significantly greater than the proportion of women who had a stable personality disorder diagnosis in these two clusters. Among women, those with any stable personality disorder had a significantly longer duration of the current major depressive disorder compared with those who never met criteria for any personality disorder; this was also true for women with a cluster C personality disorder diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Depression and Clinical Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. afarabaugh@partners.org
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farabaugh
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mischoulon
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alpert
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pava
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fava
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012074:Remission Induction; D017678:Sex Distribution