Abstract
Background: Knowledge of the prevalence and correlates of personality disorders in the community is important for identifying treatment needs and for provision of psychiatric services. Aims: To estimate the prevalence of personality disorders in a community sample and to identify demographic subgroups with especially high prevalence. Method: Clinical psychologists used the International Personality Disorder Examination to assess DSM-IV and ICD-10 personality disorders in a sample of 742 subjects, ages 34-94 years, residing in Baltimore, Maryland. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between demographic characteristics and DSM-IV personality disorder clusters. Results: The estimated overall prevalence of DSM-IV personality disorders was 9%. Cluster A disorders were most prevalent in men who had never married. Cluster B disorders were most prevalent in young men without a high school degree, and cluster C disorders in high school graduates who had never married. Conclusions: Approximately 9% of this community sample has a DSM-IV personality disorder. Personality disorders are over-represented in certain demographic subgroups of the community.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 536-542 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | British Journal of Psychiatry |
Volume | 180 |
Issue number | JUNE |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2002 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health