Difficulties in interpersonal relationships associated with personality disorders and Axis I disorders: A community-based longitudinal investigation

A longitudinal study was conducted to investigate the association between A xis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders, interpersonal relationships, and g lobal functioning among men in the community. Structured clinical interview s assessing Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders, global assessments of functioning, and questionnaires assessing social support, social conflict, and loneliness were administered to a community sample of 95 HIV+ and 45 H IV- men. The questionnaires were readministered 1 year later. Results indic ated that (a) Personality disorders (PDs) and unipolar depressive disorders were associated with loneliness, social conflict, and low levels of social support after HIV status was controlled statistically; (b) PDs were associ ated with interpersonal and global impairment after HIV status and co-occur ring Axis I disorders were controlled statistically; (c) Axis I disorders w ere associated with global impairment, but were not associated with interpe rsonal difficulties after HN status and PDs were controlled statistically; (d) PDs, but not Axis I disorders, predicted increases in social conflict a nd global impairment after HIV status was controlled statistically; (e) PDs continued to predict increases in global impairment after both Axis I diso rders and HN status were controlled statistically; and (f) HIV+ men reporte d more loneliness, less social support, and had a higher prevalence of subs tance use disorders than HIV- men. The present findings are of particular i nterest because they suggest that PDs are associated with loneliness, socia l conflict, and a lack of social support among men in the community, whethe r or not axis I disorders are present.