Personality abnormality in severe mental illness and its influence on outcome of intensive and standard case management: a randomised controlled trial

One hundred fifty-five (77%) of 201 participants recruited in a trial of in tensive vs standard case management of patients with recurrent psychotic il lness had their personality status measured before treatment and were follo wed up for two years. The primary outcome was the total number of days spen t in psychiatric hospitalisation in the two years following randomisation. Thirty-three (21%) of the patients had a personality disorder and their dur ation of hospital stay (105 days) was greater than in those without persona lity disorder (56 days). There was weak evidence that intensive case manage ment more effective in reducing the duration of care in those with personal ity disorder than in those without personality disorder. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.