COVARIANCE IN THE MEASUREMENT OF DEPRESSION ANXIETY AND 3 CLUSTER-C PERSONALITY-DISORDERS (AVOIDANT, DEPENDENT, OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE)/

One hundred and eighty-four clients referred to a research outpatient psychological clinic, and meeting the acceptance criterion of 16 or mo re on the BDI at screening, were diagnosed as either depressed and/or anxious using both Present State Examination and the Diagnostic and St atistical Manual of Mental State Disorders criteria, Clients were asse ssed for the presence of Cluster C personality disorders using the Per sonality Disorder Examination of Loranger et al. (1985). Twenty-two pe r cent made diagnosis of avoidant, dependent or obsessive-compulsive p ersonality disorder. Significant correlation was found between screeni ng/intake depression index scores and total scores on the three Cluste r C personality disorders, although little correlation was found betwe en diagnostic criteria for affective and personality disorders. Some a ssociation was shown between the clinical components of personality di sorder traits in the anxious-fearful group and current anxiety symptom s, although not as clearly as expected. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.