Personality disorders in somatization disorder patients: a controlled study in Spain.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper is to assess personality disorder (PD) comorbidity in somatization disorder (SD) patients compared with psychiatric controls in a Spanish sample.


METHODS
This is a case-control study. Selection of 70 consecutive SD patients was made, and an age-, sex-, and ethnic-group-matched control group of 70 mood and/or anxiety disorder patients recruited in psychiatric outpatient clinics was selected. PDs were measured using the International Personality Disorder Examination, and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Axis I morbidity was measured by means of the Standardized Polyvalent Psychiatric Interview.


RESULTS
PD comorbidity in SD patients was 62.9%, compared to 28.2% in controls [odds ratio (OR)=3.7; 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=1.8-7.6]. The highest ORs of PD in SD patients, compared with controls, were for paranoid (OR=9.2; 95% CI=1.9-43), obsessive-compulsive (OR=6.2; 95% CI=1.2-53.6), and histrionic (OR=3.6; 95% CI=0.9-13.9) PDs.


CONCLUSIONS
This is a controlled study with the largest sample of SD patients. The prevalence of PD comorbidity is similar to that of a previously published controlled study but is different from those of the most frequent PD subtypes.
Garcia-Campayo
Javier
J
Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain. jgarcamp@arrakis.es
Alda
Marta
M
Sobradiel
Natalia
N
Olivan
Barbara
B
Pascual
Aida
A
D000328:Adult; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires