AXIS-II COMORBIDITY OF SELF-DEFEATING PERSONALITY-DISORDER

The covariation of self-defeating personality disorder (SDPD) with oth er personality disorders (PDs) was examined in 110 outpatients without concurrent major Axis I disorders. The extent of overlap serves as a measure of the clarity of its boundaries and descriptive validity. Axi s II diagnoses were assessed by rating all DSM-III-R PD criteria. Mult iple diagnoses were recorded. Fifteen patients (14%) met criteria for SDPD; 10 (67%) had at least one additional PD diagnosis. The degree of overlap was comparable to that between the other personality disorder s. Significant overlap for SDPD occurred primarily within the anxious C cluster with the avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive categ ories. It appears that, although demonstrating significant covariation , self-defeating personality disorder can to varying degrees be distin guished from other personality disorder categories and placed in a dim ension within an overall PD construct. Although its adoption as an off icial Axis II category could add to present diagnostic confusion, a pr udent decision should await further empirical data and refinement of t he operational criteria for personality diagnoses to be forthcoming wi th DSM-IV.