Personality disorders in geropsychiatric outpatients

36 geropsychiatric outpatients were administered a semistructured personality disorder interview derived from DSM-III criteria. Over half (58%) of this elderly sample met criteria for diagnoses of personality disorders, which have been shown to significantly affect treatment of Axis I symptomatology in young adults. Compared to a young adult outpatient sample of 298, older patients had significantly fewer disorders and multiple ones. The greater number of diagnoses yielded by the interview versus clinical evaluation approached statistical significance.