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Pharmacotherapy of personality disorders: conceptual framework and clinical strategies.

This article delineates the conceptual models used when medications are prescribed for patients with personality disorders and reviews the data on the efficacy of these medications. Studies before 1980 are difficult to interpret because of changes in diagnostic criteria. Nonetheless, early studies on non-DSM-III disorders such as pseudoneurotic schizophrenia, emotionally unstable character disorder, hysteroid dysphoria, and subaffective disorders indicated the potential utility of pharmacotherapy for treating personality disorders. Models to consider in evaluating the possible use of medications for treating personality disorders are: (1) treating the disorder itself; (2) treating symptom clusters within and across disorders; and (3) treating associated axis I disorders. Among the current personality disorders, borderline personality disorder has been the most extensively studied, with antipsychotic agents being the most well-documented treatment. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, fluoxetine, and carbamazepine show promise. Schizotypal disorders may respond to low-dose antipsychotic drugs. Although heuristically valuable, the symptom cluster approach to treatment has not yet been validated. Axis I disorders, especially depression, are frequently associated with all personality disorders. Dependent personality disorder is linked to panic disorder with agoraphobia, whereas avoidant personality disorder is associated with social phobia and panic. In general, pharmacotherapy for axis I disorders is less effective in the presence of a comorbid personality disorder. Despite the modest benefits seen in many studies, pharmacotherapy can add significantly to the overall treatment of those with personality disorders. Future research must carefully assess the effect of comorbid axis I disorders on responses. The symptom cluster/psychobiologic dimension approach should be investigated in clinical studies.

Humans↗

Social workers' ratings of comorbid personality disorders in substance abusers.

Clinical diagnoses of personality disorders have been discredited in the literature. However, the artificial dichotomization of dimensions, along with the constraint of having to select only one or a few diagnoses, may have limited the ability of clinical judgment to converge with other clinician's judgments, or with relevant external criteria. Assessment with a dimensional approach to personality disorders may provide improved agreement. In this study, substance abusers were rated by two different staff members involved in their treatment. Inter-rater agreement was moderately high for paranoid, schizotypal, antisocial, and borderline personality disorder, and high-moderate discriminant validity was found for all personality disorders except schizoid and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

Adult↗

Multiple personality disorder: an overview.

Multiple personality disorder is understood today as chronic dissociative psychopathology that most often develops in response to severe abuse in childhood. The dissociative component is a manifestation of a defense mechanism out of control. The person with a biopsychological capacity to dissociate flees inward from overwhelming abuse or feared abuse. When continuing abuse perpetuates dissociations and they are chained by common affective themes, the foundations of multiple personality disorder are laid. Although the disorder has its roots in childhood, most patients are not diagnosed with this condition until 20 to 50 years of age. Many have received several prior, erroneous diagnoses of mental or physical disorders or both over a period of 7 or more years. Failure of diagnosis is an indication of the multiple factors that contribute to making this a covert disorder. Diagnosis and management begin at the same place: the establishment of trust and therapeutic alliance between patient and therapist.

Dissociative Identity Disorder↗

Testing DSM-III symptom criteria for schizotypal and borderline personality disorders.

Schizotypal and borderline personality disorders (SPD and BPD, respectively) appear to be different at follow-up, yet they are poorly discriminated from each other by current DSM-III symptom criteria. In the Chestnut Lodge Follow-up Study, three axis II study cohorts (pure SPD, n = 10; pure BPD, n = 81; mixed SPD/BPD, n = 18) with distinctive outcomes are defined using current borderline systems. This study compares the relative frequency with which individual symptom criteria from each system discriminate across study cohorts. Findings suggest that for SPD, the most characteristic (core) DSM-III symptoms are odd communication, suspiciousness/paranoid ideation, and social isolation, while the least discriminating symptom is illusions/depersonalization/derealization; the core DSM-III symptoms for BPD are unstable relationships, impulsivity, and self-damaging acts, while the least discriminating symptoms are inappropriate anger and intolerance of aloneness; depression as a symptom does not discriminate between SPD and BPD; and transient psychoses and brief paranoid experiences and/or regression in treatment discriminate for SPD but against BPD and therefore fit better as SPD criteria. Results support the retention of some, but the elimination of other, DSM-III symptom criteria for the diagnosis of SPD and BPD.

Borderline Personality Disorder↗

[The exploration of the depressive personality disorder].

Lately the concept of the depressive personality disorder has been regarded more often again in the context of chronic and subthreshold forms of depression. The purpose of the present study was the psychometric evaluation of a German version of the "Depressive Personality Disorder Inventory" (DPDI), which is a questionnaire for the exploration of the depressive personality disorder. A total of 138 depressive patients and controls were included in the study. The inter-rater-reliability as well as the internal consistency and the test-retest-reliability of the DPDI revealed satisfactory and good results. A short version of the DPDI was developed by means of a factor analysis. Medium correlations were found between the DPDI and two interviews for the depressive personality disorder. These results are discussed and it is concluded that the DPDI as well as its short version are reliable, valid and economic self-rating instruments for the exploration of the depressive personality disorder.

Adult↗

Efficacy and tolerability of olanzapine in the treatment of schizotypal personality disorder.

BACKGROUND: Few treatment studies of schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) have investigated the new, atypical antipsychotic drugs. This study examined the efficacy and tolerability of olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic drug, in a series of patients with DSM-IV diagnosed schizotypal personality disorder. METHOD: This was a 26-week, open-label study with flexible dose design in 11 subjects with a diagnosis of schizotypal personality disorder based on Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and Personality Disorder Examination (PDE Journal of Psychiatric Disorders 1 (1987) 1). Subjects were treated with a low dose (average 9.32 mg/day) of olanzapine. Psychopathology was assessed at baseline and at the end of the study and analyzed with last observation carried forward analysis. RESULTS: Patients showed significant improvements in psychosis and depression ratings, as well as in overall functioning. Olanzapine was well tolerated, though significant weight gain was observed. CONCLUSION: This study provides preliminary data regarding olanzapine efficacy and tolerability in schizotypal personality disorder subjects. These data need to be confirmed in larger controlled clinical trials.

Adult↗

Impact of personality disorders on treatment outcome for female assault survivors with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder.

This study examined the impact of comorbid personality disorders on the outcome of cognitive behavioral treatment for women with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Seventy-five adult women with PTSD resulting from rape or nonsexual assault in adulthood or sexual abuse in childhood were treated with prolonged exposure with or without cognitive restructuring. Assessment of personality disorders found that 39% of participants met DSM-IV criteria for some personality disorder diagnosis. No difference was found between women with and without personality disorders on the prevalence of PTSD at the end of treatment. Participants with a personality disorder were less likely to attain good end-state functioning, but this may be attributable to the fact that they started off slightly worse than those without personality disorders. Finally, the comorbid patients treated by community therapists fared as well or better than those treated by cognitive behavioral treatment experts in posttreatment prevalence of PTSD and end-state functioning.

Adult↗

Treatment outcome of personality disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To review the treatment outcome of personality disorders. METHOD: A literature search of studies pertaining to personality disorder and outcome was conducted, and studies that focused primarily on Axis II were retained. Of these, naturalistic outcome studies were distinguished from those that addressed treatment outcome specifically. The treatment outcome studies were examined in terms of type of treatment intervention, dependent variables, and outcome. RESULTS: Contrary to contemporary assumptions about Axis II, a substantial number of treatment outcome studies were identified. Trends in the assumptions underlying psychosocial and pharmacologic approaches were identified on the basis of dependent variables. CONCLUSION: There is evidence that effective treatments exist to alleviate symptoms and reduce symptomatic behaviours that accompany personality disorders. What these results hold for the idea of remission from personality disorder is considered.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗

Extent of comorbidity between mental state and personality disorders.

Comorbidity between major psychiatric disorders (Axis I) and personality disorders (Axis II) is widespread, often extremely strong, and invariably confusing. The strongest associations are found between substance use and the cluster B (flamboyant) personality disorders, anxiety disorders and the anxious/fearful personality group (cluster C), and between somatisation and both cluster B and C disorders. The significance of these associations is far from clear, and almost certainly include more than one type of relationship. Empirical studies of patients with and without Axis I and II comorbidity show that the presence of a personality disorder can affect the outcome of treatment, both positively and negatively, in a way that currently appears unpredictable. One useful way of interpreting this comorbidity is by postulating personality dispositions that make some people prone to certain mental state disorders.

Comorbidity↗

Identifying the unique and common characteristics among the DSM-IV antisocial, borderline, and narcissistic personality disorders.

A clinical chart-review study of the Cluster B personality disorders (PDs) was conducted to evaluate the specificity of DSM-IV criteria for the Antisocial Personality Disorder (ANPD), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Eight-six outpatients meeting DSM-IV criteria for a PD were identified through a retrospective chart-review procedure. Records of these 86 patients were independently rated on all of the ANPD, BPD, and NPD symptom criterion for the DSM-IV. High interrater reliabilities were obtained for the presence or absence of a PD and symptom criteria for ANPD, BPD, and NPD (all kappa > or = .80). The sample consisted of ANPD (n = 20), BPD (n = 25), NPD (n = 15), and other personality disorders (OPD; Cluster A and C; n = 26). Five ANPD criteria reliably differentiated ANPD patients from BPD and NPD patients (1, 2, 3, 6, 7), and two criteria did not differentiate this group from either intracluster category (4, 5). BPD criteria also differentiated BPD patients from ANPD and NPD patients; however, the specific criteria that effectively differentiated categories were dependent on the group comparisons. BPD criteria (1, 2, 3, 6, 7) differentiated BPD and ANPD patients. BPD and NPD patients could be discriminated on other BPD criteria (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8). NPD criteria showed a similar ability to differentiate patients. NPD criteria differentiated NPD and BPD patients on DSM-IV criteria of 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9. NPD and ANPD patients could be differentiated on other NPD criteria (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9). The results of this study provide general support for the use of specific criteria for these three disorders in the differential comparison of related and unrelated PDs. The utility of items that describe essential features are discussed.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗

A therapeutic approach to treating the eating disorder/borderline personality disorder patient.

The treatment of eating disorder patients is renowned for its challenges, complexities, and inherent risks. When eating disorder patients also exhibit concomitant personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder, treatment may become extraordinarily difficult. Though the exact prevalence of this subgroup of patients is not explicitly known, current data suggests that patients with eating disorders and borderline personality disorder represent a significant subgroup of the general eating disorder population. Clearly, given the relative prevalence of this group of patients, and the somewhat limited available information to address the particular needs of this subgroup, further clinical exploration needs to be encouraged. This paper outlines the relevant characteristics of these patients that may be targets for initial treatment and suggests a multi-phase conceptual format for working with them.

Journal Article↗

Predictors of comorbid personality disorders in patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia.

The aim of this study was to ascertain predictors of comorbid personality disorders in patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDAG). Sixty consecutive outpatients with PDAG were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II) for the purpose of diagnosing personality disorders. Logistic regressions were used to identify predictors of any comorbid personality disorder, any DSM-IV cluster A, cluster B, and cluster C personality disorder. Independent variables in these regressions were gender, age, duration of panic disorder (PD), severity of PDAG, and scores on self-report instruments that assess the patient's perception of their parents, childhood separation anxiety, and traumatic experiences. High levels of parental protection on the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), indicating a perception of the parents as overprotective and controlling, emerged as the only statistically significant predictor of any comorbid personality disorder. This finding was attributed to the association between parental overprotection and cluster B personality disorders, particularly borderline personality disorder. The duration of PD was a significant predictor of any cluster B and any cluster C personality disorder, suggesting that some of the cluster B and cluster C personality disorders may be a consequence of the long-lasting PDAG. Any cluster B personality disorder was also associated with younger age. In conclusion, despite a generally nonspecific nature of the relationship between parental overprotection in childhood and adult psychopathology, the findings of this study suggest some specificity for the association between parental overprotection in childhood and personality disturbance in PDAG patients, particularly cluster B personality disorders.

Adult↗

An investigation into the internal structure of DSM-III antisocial personality disorder.

The present study examined the DSM-III antisocial personality disorder by examining endorsements of each of the DSM-III criteria to obtain various indices, including interrater reliability, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive power, alpha levels, and item (criterion)-total correlations. 112 psychiatric inpatients were rated on the Structured Interview for DSM-III Personality. 11 patients were accorded a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, 65 had other forms of personality disorders, and 36 received no personality disorder diagnosis. The antisocial criteria successfully discriminated patients with antisocial personality disorder from those without the diagnosis. Strong interrater reliability and reasonable alpha levels were achieved. Although some criteria were successful in identifying patients with and without a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, the criteria were generally better at predicting the absence of antisocial personality disorder.

Adult↗

Ten-year follow-up of adolescent-onset anorexia nervosa: personality disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To study the development of personality disorders, especially those involving obsessions, compulsions, and social interaction problems, in a representative group of anorexia nervosa (AN) cases. METHOD: The prevalence of personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and autism spectrum disorders at mean age 24 years (10 years after reported onset) was examined in 51 adolescent-onset AN cases recruited after community screening and 51 comparison cases matched for age, sex, and school. All 102 cases had originally been examined at age 16 years and followed up at 21 years. At 24 years, structured and validated psychiatric diagnostic interviews were performed by a psychiatrist who was blind to original diagnosis. The majority of AN cases (94%) were weight-restored. RESULTS: Personality disorders, particularly cluster C, and autism spectrum disorders were overrepresented in the AN group. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and/or autism spectrum disorder was diagnosed in a subgroup of AN cases in all 3 studies. This subgroup had a very poor psychosocial outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent problems with obsessions, compulsions, and social interaction characterized a substantial minority of weight-restored AN cases at 10-year follow-up. These problems appear to be constitutional rather than a result of AN, and they may warrant a different treatment approach.

Adolescent↗

The narcissistic personality disorder and the differential diagnosis of antisocial behavior.

This article describes a dimension of antisocial behavior that links the narcissistic personality disorder with the antisocial personality disorder, with the syndrome of malignant narcissism as intermediate between the two. Starting with a critique of the DSM-III-R description of the antisocial personality disorder, the author reviews some salient contributions to the concept of the antisocial personality disorder derived from descriptive, sociologic, and psychoanalytic viewpoints. Cleckley's classic description forms the historical background for an updated description of the key characteristics of the antisocial personality disorder. What follows is a summary of the differential diagnosis of antisocial behavior as found in the antisocial personality disorder, the syndrome of malignant narcissism, the narcissistic personality disorders with antisocial behaviors, other severe personality disorders with antisocial features, neurotic personality disorders with antisocial features, symptomatic neuroses, and, finally, dissocial reactions. Prognostic and therapeutic considerations regarding the treatment of antisocial behavior are briefly summarized in the light of this differential diagnosis. A final section describes the psychodynamics of the syndrome of malignant narcissism and of the antisocial personality disorder.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗

Familial aggregation of adolescent personality disorders.

OBJECTIVE: A family study of DSM-III-R personality disorders was conducted in the families of 66 clinically referred adolescents to examine the validity of personality disorder diagnoses in adolescents. METHOD: Semistructured interviews of Axis I and II disorders, including the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders, were used to directly interview 66 clinically referred adolescents and their adult first-degree family members, combining family study and family history data. RESULTS: The relatives of adolescents with avoidant personality disorder had an increased prevalence of avoidant and cluster A (schizoid, schizotypal, and paranoid) personality disorders. The relatives of adolescents with borderline personality disorder demonstrated increased rates of borderline and avoidant personality disorders, even after adjusting for comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support the validity of Axis II diagnoses, particularly avoidant and borderline disorders, in adolescents.

Adolescent↗