[Comorbidity in patients with narcissistic personality disorder in comparison to patients with borderline personality disorder].
BACKGROUND
Patients with a narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) do not often consult a psychotherapist or psychiatrist because of their NPD, but rather, because of co-occurring psychiatric disorders, or higher general symptom stress. Until now there is no actual data about rates of co-occurrence disorders and general symptom stress.


OBJECTIVE
Which axis I and axis II disorders occur typically in NPD in comparison to patients with a borderline personality disorder (BPD)? How are general symptom stress and depressive symptoms related?


METHODS
Prevalence of co-occurring disorders (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV for Axis I and Axis II) and general symptom stress (SCL-90-R) and depression (BDI) were investigated in 62 patients with a NPD, 62 patients with a BPD and 59 patients with a double diagnosis NPD/BPD.


RESULTS
Affective disorders (64.5%) and substance use disorders (35.5%) were the most comorbid psychiatric disorders in patients with NPD. Substance use disorders (p<0.01) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (p<0.01) were more common in BPD than in NPD. In comparison to patients with the double diagnosis NPD/BPD major depression (p<0.05) was more frequent in patients with NPD and substance use disorders (p<0.001) and antisocial personality disorder (p<0.001) were less common in patients with NPD. Gender effects were found in PTSD, bulimia nervosa, substance use disorders and antisocial personality disorder. Patients with NPD showed lowest rates of co-occurring disorders and lowest scores in general symptom stress and depression than the other two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In general, patients with NPD showed similar co-occurring disorders as patients with BPD, or with the co-diagnosis NPD and BPD, but they showed lower scores for general symptom stress and depression.
Ritter
Kathrin
K
Campus Benjamin Franklin, Klinik und Hochschulambulanz für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin. kathrin.ritter@charite.de
Roepke
Stefan
S
Merkl
Angela
A
Heuser
Isabella
I
Fydrich
Thomas
T
Lammers
Claas-Hinrich
CH
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors