PATTERNS OF SHORT-TERM COURSE IN PATIENTS TREATED IN A DAY UNIT FOR PERSONALITY-DISORDERS

The objectives of the study were (1) to explore differences in the cou rse for patients treated in a day unit specializing in personality dis orders (PDs), and (2) to determine characteristics of patients with di fferent courses and predictors of various courses. K-mean cluster anal ysis was applied to partition a sample of 128 patients, 101 with vario us PDs and 27 with axis I disorders only, into four groups representin g different courses. The course was defined on the basis of global fun ctioning (Health Sickness Rating Scale [HSRS]) at admission, discharge , and 3-years follow-up evaluation. The four courses were labeled good , fair, late improvement, and poor, demonstrating great variation in t he short-term course among patients with PDs. Predictors were studied by means of polychotomous logistic regression using the patients with a fair course as the reference group. The dichotomy no PD/cluster C ve rsus cluster A/B predicted a good versus a fair course, A poor work st atus the last year before admission and irregular discharge predicted a poor or late improvement course versus a fair course, also when cont rolling for PD clusters. None of the included variables discriminated between patients with a poor versus late improvement course, Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.