title: The comorbidity of anger symptoms with personality disorders in psychiatric outpatients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although many psychiatric disorders are "emotional" disorders, no disorders exist for which dysfunctional anger is a necessary feature. This study examined whether dysfunctional anger could be considered a diagnosis independent from Personality Disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data on 1,158 psychiatric outpatients who underwent a semi-structured interview for Axis II disorders and ascertained the co-occurrence of dysfunctional anger and Personality Disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overlap between dysfunctional anger and all Personality Disorders was low. Data analyses showed dysfunctional anger was not well accounted for by Axis II diagnoses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dysfunctional anger can be viewed by researchers and clinicians as an independent diagnostic entity. The implications of these results for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with anger symptoms is discussed.
authors.affiliation: St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA.
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Digiuseppe
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: McDermut
authors.forename: Faith
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.forename: J Ryan
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chelminski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D055815:Young Adult