A comparison of DSM-III personality disorders in panic/agoraphobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder

One hundred eighty-seven patients meeting DSM-III criteria for panic disorder (161 with agoraphobia) and 51 patients meeting DSM-III criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were assessed with the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ), a self-rating scale designed to assess axis II personality disorders and traits. The results showed that the personality profiles were similar between the two diagnostic groups and that the major personality characteristics identified in panic/agoraphobic patients, e.g., avoidant, dependent, histrionic, and borderline, were more pronounced in patients with OCD. These findings support our earlier suggestion of a nonspecific link between panic disorder/agoraphobia and personality disorder (PD)/traits.