[Comorbid personality disorders in major depressive disorder: a comparative study in 160 Tunisian female inpatients].
BACKGROUND
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is often comorbid with personality disorders which are known to change its clinical aspects and worsen its outcome.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to compare clinical and outcome aspects of a female depressed inpatients group according to the existence or not of a comorbid personality disorder.


METHODS
The study was carried in the psychiatry female inpatient unit of Farhat Hached hospital of Sousse. All entrances to the unit from January 1999 to August 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. 160, corresponding to MDD, were selected. Assessment was based on demographic characteristics, medical history, axis I comorbid disorders, clinical aspects of the index episode and outcome characteristics.


RESULTS
77 patients (48.1%) had personality disorder. Compared to those without comorbid personality disorder, these patients were younger (p < 10-4), with higher educational level (p = 0.005) and better vocational functioning (p = 0.018). They also had an earlier age at onset of their depression (p < 10-4), more previous suicide attempts (p = 0.012) and more axis I comorbid disorders (p < 10-4). Comorbid personality disorders were correlated to an impaired outcome, with higher rate of relapses (p = 0.021), more recurrences (p = 0.026), more persistent symptoms (p < 10-4) and more suicide attempts (p = 0.031).
El Kissi
Yousri
Y
Service de Psychiatrie, CHU Farhat Hached Avenue Ibn Jazzar, Sousse, Tunisie.
Ben Nasr
Selma
S
Ayachi
Mouna
M
Jedidi
Nader
N
Ghnaya
Habib
H
Ben Hadj Ali
Bechir
B
D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006757:Hospital Units; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014416:Tunisia