PATTERNS OF ANXIETY AND PERSONALITY-DISORDER COMORBIDITY

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of comorbidity of DS M-III-R anxiety disorders and personality disorders (PD). Two-hundred subjects were independently interviewed with the Structured Clinical I nterview for DSM-III-R (SCID) and the Personality Disorder Examination (PDE) face-to-face by two experienced clinicians. One-hundred and for ty-six also completed the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R). Rates of personality disorder among patients with and withou t anxiety disorders were determined by each of the three instruments. Comorbidity between panic disorder, social phobia, obsessive-compulsiv e disorder, and simple phobia and a conservative estimate of individua l Axis II disorders was examined. Results indicate that panic disorder , either current or lifetime, is associated with borderline, avoidant, and dependent personality disorders; social phobia is associated with avoidant personality disorder; and obsessive-compulsive disorder is a ssociated with obsessive-compulsive and avoidant personality disorders . Anxiety disorders with personality disorders are characterized by ch ronicity and lower levels of functioning compared with anxiety disorde rs without personality disorders.