Comorbidity of DSM-IV personality disorders in a nonclinical sample

Abstract

The issue of comorbidity within the Axis II personality disorders was explored using a large sample of university students who were administered the Coolidge Axis II Inventory (CATI). Comorbidity patterns with this normal sample were compared with recent clinical data reported by several other researchers. The results confirm the high degree of comorbidity within Axis II and the similarity in the comorbidity patterns with clinical and nonclinical samples. With the CATI, a 30.4% comorbidity rate was obtained for Histrionic and Narcissistic Personality disorders (Pd). The paranoid, passive-aggressive and borderline personality disorder traits were comorbid with several other Pds. For Cluster A, there was low comorbidity except for Paranoid Pd and Schizotypal Pd. With Cluster B, the co-occurrence was moderate to strong. A moderate amount of interrelationship was obtained for the Cluster C Pds. The DSM-IV clusters were also strongly interrelated. An additional finding was the similarity between self-report and structured interview methodology in obtained personality disorder comorbidity.

Personality Disorders, Types of Violence, and Stress Responses in Female Who Perpetrate Intimate Partner Violence

“…The cluster B personality disorder prevalence rates found in the present study are notably high, especially when considered alongside the much lower rates of a comparable non-clinical university sample (Watson & Sinha, 1998). In a growing number of studies investigating personality factors in female who perpetrate IPV such findings are increasingly observed.…”

“…Also presented in the table are base rates for the prevalence of cluster B disorders in a comparison nonclinical Canadian university sample (Watson & Sinha, 1998).…”

Impulsive aggression in borderline personality disorder

“…The comorbidity between clusters also undercuts the distinctness of the three personality disorder cluster described in DSM-IV [16].…”

Growth hormone responses to GABAB receptor challenge with baclofen and impulsivity in healthy control and personality disorder subjects

“…The personality disorder group in this study included any DSM-IV personality disorder, including personality disorder NOS. While this theoretically may introduce heterogeneity into the group, in reality, the personality disorder group is constrained in range of psychopathology by the general criteria for personality disorder and the reality that personality disorder is more often than not comorbid with another personality disorder, making "pure" personality disorder samples less generalizeable (Watson and Sinha 1998). Previous work examining dimensional relationships between aggression and biological variables has been completed using a similar population (Coccaro et al 1998;.…”