title: A preliminary investigation of self-reported personality disorders in late life: prevalence, predictors of depressive severity, and clinical correlates.
abstract: Previous research suggests that personality disorders, particularly in clusters A and C, persist into late life, are particularly prevalent in late-life depressed samples, and negatively impact treatment of late-life depression. The present study examined the self-reported personality disorder traits of a sample of 65 depressed elders using the Wisconsin Personality Disorder Inventory IV (WISPI IV). As expected, clusters A and C were most prevalent and the presence of a personality disorder predicted the maintenance or re-emergence of depressive symptoms, as did hopelessness and ambivalence regarding emotional expression. No specific personality disorder traits were associated with clinical features of late-life depression (age of onset, number of previous episodes) while some personality disorder traits were associated with psychological correlates of depression (hopelessness, ambivalence regarding emotional expression, thought suppression). A theoretical explanation for the cluster prevalence based on self-verification is discussed along with a profile of elderly patients who may have poor depression treatment course if they exhibit personality disorder traits, particularly interpersonal rigidity or avoidance, chronic hopelessness, and emotional inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: J Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Lynch
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires