title: Personality disorders in homeless drop-in center clients.
abstract: Sixty homeless clients at two drop-in centers in different boroughs in New York City were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I and II disorders and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Very high rates of all personality disorders were found for Cluster A (73% paranoid, 65% schizoid, 43% schizotypal), B (57% antisocial, 62% borderline, 20% histrionic, 57% narcissistic) and C (50% avoidant, 25% dependent, 57% obsessive compulsive). Axis I mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders were each diagnosed in over half the sample. At least one Cluster A disorder was diagnosed in 92% of the sample, and these disorders were distinguished from Axis I psychotic disorders (20%) with regard to prevalence, patterns of association, and constellation of symptoms. Cluster A disorders were not associated with any Axis I disorder, suggesting diagnostic independence in this sample.
authors.affiliation: Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter, Inc., New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Adrian J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cobb-Richardson
authors.forename: Samuel A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ball
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology