title: Attachment dimensions as predictors of medical hospitalizations in individuals with DSM IV cluster B personality disorders.
abstract: This study investigates predictors of health service utilization in individuals with cluster B personality disorders. We hypothesized an association of severity of psychopathology (that is, global psychosocial functioning and psychiatric comorbidity) and attachment style with the length of medical hospitalizations in this population. Forty-one female subjects were interviewed regarding their diagnoses, level of functioning and service utilization. Attachment style was assessed with a self-report questionnaire. Our findings indicate that degree of psychiatric comorbidity and level of psychosocial functioning do not predict length of hospital stays, whereas preoccupied attachment predicted 23.9% of the variance in the length of hospitalizations. We conclude that the quality of interpersonal relatedness appears to be a better predictor of health service use than severity of pathology in patients with cluster B personality disorders.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA. Simone.Hoermann@gte.net
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoermann
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Clarkin
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hull
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Fertuck
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index