AXIS-II COMORBIDITY OF BORDERLINE PERSONALITY-DISORDER

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of a full range of DSM-III-R axis II disorders in a sample of criteria-defined border line patients and axis II controls. The axis II comorbidity of 504 per sonality-disordered inpatients was assessed blind to clinical diagnosi s using a semistructured research interview. Odd, anxious, and dramati c cluster disorders were each common among borderline patients. Howeve r, only odd and anxious cluster disorders were significantly more comm on among borderline patients (N = 379) than axis II controls (N = 125) . Paranoid, avoidant, and dependent personality disorders were the mos t highly discriminating disorders between borderline patients and cont rols. In addition, male and female borderline patients exhibited somew hat differ ent patterns of comorbidity. Although the rates of avoidant and dependent personality disorders were similar, male borderlines we re significantly more likely than female borderlines to meet DSM-III-R criteria for paranoid, passive-aggressive, narcissistic, sadistic, an d antisocial personality disorders. These results suggest that there i s a particularly strong relationship between anxious cluster disorders and borderline personality disorder (BPD). They also suggest that gen der plays an important role in the expression of axis II comorbidity, particularly with respect to dramatic cluster disorders. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.