title: Personality disorders among patients accessing alcohol detoxification treatment: prevalence and gender differences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol abuse and dependence are frequently associated with psychiatric disorders and personality disorders (PDs) with differences among gender. However, only few studies investigated gender differences in PDs among alcoholics. The aim of this study was to investigate PDs in a sample of patients accessing inpatient alcohol detoxification treatment and to describe gender differences in prevalence and comorbidity of PDs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 206 patients entering alcohol detoxification treatment in a specialized clinic in Italy. At enrollment, patients filled in the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III for the assessment of PDs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample consisted of 150 males and 56 females. Twenty-five percent of males vs 12.5% of females had 1 PD; 16% vs 23%, 2 PDs; and 46% vs 48%, more than 3 PDs. A statistically significant higher proportion of females got high scores on avoidant (21.4% vs 9.3%), self-defeating (50.0% vs 24.0%), and borderline scales (42.9% vs 25.3%). Depressive, self-defeating, and borderline PDs were frequently associated both to other PDs and among each other, particularly among females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Borderline PD is confirmed to be more frequent among females than among males accessing alcohol detoxification treatment. More studies are needed to clarify prevalence and associations of PDs, prognosis, and gender differences in alcoholics patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, University of Torino "San Luigi Gonzaga", Orbassano (TO), Italy.
authors.forename: Rocco L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Picci
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vigna-Taglianti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oliva
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mathis
authors.forename: Silena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salmaso
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ostacoli
authors.forename: Alessandro Jaretti
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sodano
authors.forename: Pier Maria
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Furlan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors