title: Clinical utility of Standardised Assessment of Personality - Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) among patients with first episode depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Personality disorder frequently co-occurs with depression and seems to be associated with a poorer outcome of treatment and increased risk for recurrences. However, the diagnosing of personality disorder can be lengthy and requires some training. Therefore, a brief screening interview for comorbid personality disorder among patients suffering from depression would be of clinical use.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study aimed to assess the utility of the Standardised Assessment of Personality - Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) as a screen for personality disorder in a population of patients recently diagnosed with first episode depression. A total number of 394 patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of a single depressive episode were sampled consecutively via the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register during a 2years inclusion period and assessed by the screening interview and, subsequently, by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found, that a cut-off of 3 on the screen correctly identified the presence of comorbid personality disorder in 73.1% of the patients. The sensitivity and specificity were 0.80 and 0.70, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings cannot be generalized to patients outside hospital settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study provides evidence for the clinical utility of SAPAS as a screening interview for comorbid personality disorder in a population of patients with a primary diagnosis of depression.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. jens.bukh@regionh.dk
authors.forename: Jens Drachmann
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bukh
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bock
authors.forename: Maj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinberg
authors.forename: Ulrik
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gether
authors.forename: Lars Vedel
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Kessing
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics; D012042:Registries