The Relationship Between Major Clinical Syndromes And Personality

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the proposed relationship between major psychiatric clinical syndromes and personality styles or patterns. Clinicians were asked to submit the following information on their patients: (a) MCMI base rate scores, (b) DSM-III Axis I and Axis II diagnoses, (c) demographic data, and (d) ratings on the MDPS (a list of distinguishing criteria for each of eight clinically relevant personality dimensions, e.g., behavioral presentation, cognitive style, etc.). Of the 300 subjects, 125 were diagnosed by both the clinician and the MCMI as having both Axis I and Axis II disorders. An additional 70 subjects, each possessing an Axis I diagnosis and ratings on the MDPS, were added to the original sample of 125. The Axis I diagnoses were grouped into four categories: (a) substance use disorders, (b) affective disorders, (c) neurotic disorders, and (d) psychotic disorders. Chi-square analyses were conducted using the 11 Axis II, personality disorders individually, as well as the following three personality clusters: (a) Dependent-Conforming/Friendly-Agreeable, (b) Confident-Outgoing, and (c) Anxious-Moody/Angry-Irritable. It was found that in the group of subjects diagnosed by clinicians as having affective disorders, there were significantly more clinician-diagnosed borderline personality disorders, as well as MCMI-diagnosed passive-aggressive personality disorders. In the group of subjects diagnosed by the MCMI as having neurotic disorders, there were significantly more clinician-diagnosed borderline personality disorders, as well as MCMI-diagnosed dependent personality disorders. Using the three clusters, when subjects were diagnosed by the MCMI as having a neurotic disorder, the only cluster to emerge with disproportionate representation was the Dependent-Conforming/Friendly-Agreeable cluster. Frequency distributions of the ratings on the MDPS are provided for three of the Axis I groups, affective, neurotic, and substance use disorders. Chi-squares were calculated on the MDPS for affective and neurotic patients yielding composite typologies of each of the Axis I groupings