title: State personality disorder in social phobia.
abstract: To examine the effects of state on personality disorder characteristics, we compared individuals with social phobia before and after psychological intervention. Administration of the Personality Disorder Questionnaire (PDQ-4) before and after treatment allowed for the identification of three groups of patients: (1) individuals who showed elevated PDQ-4 scores but little changes from intake to post treatment (Trait PD group; n = 28); (2) individuals who showed a decrease in PDQ-4 scores from intake to post treatment (State group; n = 33); and (3) a group with no significant personality disorder characteristics at pre or post-treatment (No PD group; n = 32). There were trend differences between the Trait, State and No PD groups for being single, never married (81.5%, 44.4%, and 56.3%, p < .05) and a significant difference for having the generalized form of Social Phobia (96.4%, 88.9%, and 59.4%, p < .0001). The groups also differed in their level of trait anxiety (61.6, 51.2, 44.5, p < .001). Groups also differed in level of the personality measure Harm Avoidance (26.3, 23.3, 19.8, p < .0002). The reduction of personality disorder traits in the State PD groups from intake to post-treatment was not specific to any particular personality disorder or personality disorder cluster. Trait personality appeared to have a higher risk for suicide compared to the other two groups. A State Personality group was identified in individuals with social phobia by following changes in personality pathology from before and after a psychological intervention.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA. jhreich@ix.netcom.com
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reich
authors.forename: Stefan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Hofmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D015897:Comorbidity; D003710:Demography; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires