title: Personality disorders in alcohol-dependent individuals: relationship with alcohol dependence severity.
abstract: The rate of axis II disorders in alcohol-dependent individuals is suggested to be high. The aim of this investigation is to assess the rate of DSM-IV axis II diagnoses in alcohol-dependent inpatients and their correlation with clinical characteristics of alcohol dependence (AD). 1,079 inpatients with DSM-IV AD from three inpatient addiction treatment centers ('qualified detoxification', open psychiatric university hospital wards) were included. Characteristics of AD were obtained using standardized structured interviews. Diagnoses of DSM-IV personality disorders (PDs) were generated with SCID-II-PQ and SCID-II interviews. Alcoholism severity was measured using the number of DSM-IV criteria endorsed and age at first drinking. Approximately 60% of the sample had at least one PD. However, rates of Axis II disorders differed significantly across centers. The most frequent PDs were obsessive-compulsive, borderline, narcissistic and paranoid PD. Diagnosis of any PD was related to a more severe clinical profile of AD. Regression analyses revealed that obsessive-compulsive PD was related to the number of DSM-IV criteria endorsed while antisocial PD was related to early age at first drinking. The majority of alcohol-dependent individuals had one or more comorbid axis II disorders. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicate that different PDs are related to age at first dinking and alcoholism severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, E-06097 Halle/Saale, Germany. ulrich.preuss@medizin.uni-halle.de
authors.forename: U W
authors.initials: UW
authors.lastname: Preuss
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fehr
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koller
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wodarz
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hesselbrock
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soyka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers