Tag: negative personality disorders study

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: It is not yet clear whether chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is associated with elevated levels of personality disorders.

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the prevalence of DSM-IV axis II personality disorders among patients with CFS.

METHODS: We examined the prevalence of personality disorders in a sample of 92 female CFS patients and in two well-matched control groups, i.e., normal community individuals (N = 92) and psychiatric patients (N = 92). Participants completed the assessment of DSM-IV personality disorders questionnaire (ADP-IV), which yields a categorical and dimensional evaluation of personality disorder features.

RESULTS: The prevalence of personality disorders in CFS patients (16.3 %) was significantly lower than in psychiatric patients (58.7 %) and was similar to that in the community sample (16.3 %). Similar results were found for dimensional and pseudodimensional scores, except for the Depressive (DE) and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (O-C) subscales. Patients with CFS had significantly higher levels of DE features compared to normal controls and similar dimensional scores on the O-C scale compared to psychiatric controls.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the CFS sample was characterized by depressive and obsessive-compulsive personality features, this study provides no evidence for the assumption that these patients generally show a higher prevalence of axis II pathology. Given the conflicting findings in this area, future studies using multiple measures to assess personality disorders in CFS are needed to substantiate these findings.

 

Source: Kempke S, Van Den Eede F, Schotte C, Claes S, Van Wambeke P, Van Houdenhove B, Luyten P. Prevalence of DSM-IV personality disorders in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a controlled study. Int J Behav Med. 2013 Jun;20(2):219-28. doi: 10.1007/s12529-012-9273-y. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23065435

 

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: Personality is an important factor in the research of the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Although some studies report a high rate of personality disorders–around the 40% level–in samples of patients with CFS, the generalizability of these findings can be questioned. The present study evaluates the prevalence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) personality disorders in a sample of female CFS patients and in two control groups.

METHOD: The ADP-IV questionnaire (Assessment of DSM Personality Disorders IV) was used to assess the DSM-IV-TR personality disorders at a dimensional and categorical level in a sample of 50 female CFS patients and in two matched control samples of Flemish civilians (n=50) and psychiatric patients (n=50).

RESULTS: The results indicate a striking lack of statistical significant differences between the CFS sample and the Flemish control group at the level of dimensional Trait scores, number of criteria, and prevalence rates of personality disorder diagnoses. Unsurprisingly, higher scores at these levels were obtained within the psychiatric sample. The prevalence of an Axis II disorder was 12% in the Flemish and CFS samples, whereas the psychiatric sample obtained a prevalence of 54%.

CONCLUSION: The prominent absence of any significant difference in personality disorder characteristics between the female Flemish general population and the CFS samples seems to suggest only a minor etiological role for personality pathology, as defined by the DSM-IV Axis II, within CFS.

 

Source: Courjaret J, Schotte CK, Wijnants H, Moorkens G, Cosyns P. Chronic fatigue syndrome and DSM-IV personality disorders. J Psychosom Res. 2009 Jan;66(1):13-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.07.001. Epub 2008 Nov 22. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19073288