PERSONALITY-TRAITS AND DISORDERS AMONG PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENTS AND NORMAL SUBJECTS ON THE BASIS OF THE SCID SCREEN QUESTIONNAIRE

SCID screen questionnaire - a self-report instrument for axis-II diagn oses - was distributed to 65 psychiatric outpatients and 133 normal su bjects. In addition, independent clinical DSM-III-R diagnoses were mad e in the patients. When cut-off was adjusted in the SCID screen, speci ficity was 64% and sensitivity 86%, with a Pearson's correlation coeff icient of 0.52 (p<0.001). The results from the SCID screen were analys ed in two different ways - a dimensional approach estimating the propo rtion of criteria fulfilled and a traditional categoric approach estim ating the prevalence of different personality disorders. All cluster-A disorders and obsessive compulsive personality disorder were more fre quent among male than female patients. When analysed dimensionally, no sex differences were identified among patients or normal subjects. Am ong patients 62% had at least one and 46% multiple axis-II diagnoses, avoidant being the most prevalent. Among normal subjects narcissistic and obsessive compulsive personality disorders were most frequent for males and histrionic and borderline for females. The SCID screen showe d good screening properties and also turned out to be promising as sol e diagnostic instrument for axis-II disorders. It could easily be admi nistered in an epidemiologic research setting. By rating and displayin g every single criterion, the SCID screen also records potentially val uable ''subthreshold'' personality traits.