Interpersonal subtypes within generalized anxiety disorder.
In this study, we addressed the heterogeneity in interpersonal problems across patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). We assessed interpersonal problems by the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-C; Horowitz, Alden, Wiggins, & Pincus, 2000) in a sample of 78 GAD patients. We used IIP-C profiles describing interpersonal characteristics of the total GAD sample as well as clustered GAD interpersonal subtypes. Although the overall sample was located in the friendly submissive quadrant of the circumplex model, this was true only for the Exploitable cluster, which includes more than 50% of the patients. Importantly, clusters of GAD patients with other locations reporting predominantly Cold, Nonassertive, or Intrusive interpersonal problems were also identified. The 4 clusters did not differ in terms of gender, comorbid disorders, or the severity of depression or anxiety. Thus, the assessment of interpersonal problems provides additional diagnostic information covering the heterogeneity of GAD patients. This information could be used for differential indication and individual case formulation in GAD.
Salzer
Simone
S
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Germany.
Pincus
Aaron L
AL
Hoyer
Jürgen
J
Kreische
Reinhard
R
Leichsenring
Falk
F
Leibing
Eric
E
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States