Relationship between affective disorders and Axis II diagnoses in geropsychiatric patients

Twenty-four geropsychiatric outpatients and 52 inpatients diagnosed with affective disorders (ADs) via psychiatric evaluation were administered the Structured Interview for Disorders of Personality-Revised (SIDP-R). A chart review yielded 1-year relapse rates for the inpatient sample. Data indicate a 63% personality disorder prevalence rate for the total sample, and a 21% relapse rate for inpatients. No significant differences were found in PD rates between elderly depressed and bipolar patients, and there were no differences in relapse rates for those with and without PDs. Results were discussed in relation to the sizable frequency of PDs in this elderly sample of ADs, the possible effects of severe depression on the personality ratings of older adults, and the differential prognostic value of PDs for geropsychiatric inpatients versus outpatients.