Related Experiment Videos
PDQ-R personality disorders in bipolar patients.
R A O'Connell1, J A Mayo, M S Sciutto
1St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center, New York, NY.
Journal of Affective Disorders
|December 1, 1991
Summary
This study found that over half of bipolar patients screened positive for personality disorders, particularly borderline and histrionic types. The Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R) may overdiagnose these conditions in this population.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Prevalence of personality disorders in bipolar disorder (BD) is inconsistently reported.
- The Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R) is a self-report measure for personality disorders with known validity, high sensitivity, and moderate specificity.
- Accurate assessment of comorbid personality disorders is crucial for effective BD management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prevalence of personality disorders among patients with bipolar disorder using the PDQ-R.
- To identify specific personality disorder types most commonly associated with bipolar disorder.
- To consider the limitations of the PDQ-R in this clinical population.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study design.
- Inclusion of 50 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder undergoing long-term lithium treatment.
- Administration of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R) for self-assessment of personality disorders.
Main Results:
- 58% of bipolar patients scored positive for at least one personality disorder.
- A total of 71 diagnoses were made across 50 patients, averaging 1.42 diagnoses per patient.
- Cluster B personality disorders were most frequent, with borderline personality disorder being the most prevalent, followed by histrionic personality disorder.
Conclusions:
- The PDQ-R identified a high rate of personality disorders in bipolar patients, predominantly from Cluster B.
- The study highlights the potential for the PDQ-R to overdiagnose personality disorders in bipolar patients due to its high sensitivity and moderate specificity.
- Subclinical features of affective disorders may be misinterpreted as personality traits by the PDQ-R, necessitating careful clinical interpretation.