A MODIFIED SCORING ALGORITHM FOR THE PDQ-R - PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND SUBSTANCE USE IN ADOLESCENTS WITH PERSONALITY-DISORDERS

A study was conducted to investigate the extent to which adolescents d iagnosed with one or more personality disorders on a self-report instr ument are at an elevated risk for psychiatric symptomatology and psych oactive substance abuse. A modified version of the Personality Diagnos tic Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R), the Revised Hopkins Symptom Checkli st (SCL-90-R), and a standard retrospective substance use diary were a dministered to 441 undergraduate students, 181 and 166 of whom partici pated in 1- and 2-month follow-up sessions at which the SCL-90-R and t he substance use diary were readministered. Results were that (a) pers onality disorder prevalence estimates produced by the modified PDQ-R a pproximated those obtained by previous researchers who have administer ed structured clinical interviews to general community samples; and (b ) individuals diagnosed with one or more personality disorders by the modified PDQ-R manifested higher levels of psychiatric symptomatology and substance use at both baseline and follow-up than did nondiagnosed subjects.