High Prevalence Of Personality Disorders Research Articles

Associations between neurolinguistic deficits and personality traits in people with epilepsy.

People with epilepsy (PWE) have been hypothesized to have higher prevalence of personality disorders and cognitive disorders. The objective of this study was to investigate the controversial notion of "epileptic personality," a series of supposedly specific personality traits of people with epilepsy (PWE). For this purpose, 29 individuals with Mesial Temporal lobe Epilepsy (MTLE) and 23 with Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) as confirmed by electroencephalography (EEG), MRI scans and clinical examination, underwent a thorough neuropsychological and personality assessment. The resulting neuropsychological profiles were statistically analyzed considering possible personality disorders, character traits, cognitive and linguistic deviations from 20 healthy controls (HC). Our findings suggest accumulative cognitive and linguistic deficits in individuals with epilepsy compared to controls. It is possible that these might be misinterpreted as personality disorders. Specifically, personality traits (p = 0.049) and verbal fluency (p = 0.013), were significantly different between PWEs and controls. Also, the type of epilepsy and lateralization seem to affect executive function (p = 0.049) and pragmatology scores (p < 0.001), exhibiting differences in subgroup analysis. Different theories are considered as plausible pathophysiological explanations for the aforementioned differences. This research might serve as a basis to further investigate the cognitive aspects of epilepsy and possible pharmacological interventions, which are currently lacking.

Characteristics for Low, High and Very High Emergency Department Use for Mental Health Diagnoses from Health Records and Structured Interviews.

Patients with mental health diagnoses (MHD) are among the most frequent emergency department (ED) users, suggesting the importance of identifying additional factors associated with their ED use frequency. In this study we assessed various patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and service use associated with low ED users (1-3 visits/year), compared to high (4-7) and very high (8+) ED users with MHD. Our study was conducted in four large Quebec (Canada) ED networks. A total of 299 patients with MHD were randomly recruited from these ED in 2021-2022. Structured interviews complemented data from network health records, providing extensive data on participant profiles and their quality of care. We used multivariable multinomial logistic regression to compare low ED use to high and very high ED use. Over a 12-month period, 39% of patients were low ED users, 37% high, and 24% very high ED users. Compared with low ED users, those at greater probability for high or very high ED use exhibited more violent/disturbed behaviors or social problems, chronic physical illnesses, and barriers to unmet needs. Patients previously hospitalized 1-2 times had lower risk of high or very high ED use than those not previously hospitalized. Compared with low ED users, high and very high ED users showed higher prevalence of personality disorders and suicidal behaviors, respectively. Women had greater probability of high ED use than men. Patients living in rental housing had greater probability of being very high ED users than those living in private housing. Using at least 5+ primary care services and being recurrent ED users two years prior to the last year of ED use had increased probability of very high ED use. Frequency of ED use was associated with complex issues and higher perceived barriers to unmet needs among patients. Very high ED users had more severe recurrent conditions, such as isolation and suicidal behaviors, despite using more primary care services. Results suggested substantial reduction of barriers to care and improvement on both access and continuity of care for these vulnerable patients, integrating crisis resolution and supported housing services. Limited hospitalizations may sometimes be indicated, protecting against ED use.

Suicidal ideation among prisoners: analysis with a gender perspective in a five-year follow-up (2017-2022).

There is a high incidence of self-harming behavior in the prison setting, with a suicide rate that is higher than that of the general population. Previous studies describe the association of sociodemographic, clinical, and criminological factors with the risk of suicide in the male prison population, but there is little research that specifically analyses suicidal behavior among women. The objective of this study is to analyze the characteristics of inmates who are admitted to a psychiatric unit for suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide. Descriptive and comparative analysis of 97 inmates (68 men, 29 women) admitted to the Unidad de Hospitalización Psiquiátrica Penitenciaria de Cataluña (UHPP-C), for suicidal ideation, between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2022. There are differences in terms of place of birth, with a more significant presence of African nationalities in non-national males, while foreign inmates tend to come from Latin American countries. Men have a lower mean age, longer admissions, and a higher readmission rate. They also suffer from more psychotic and addictive disorders. Women have a higher prevalence of personality disorders and affective symptoms. There are sociodemographic and clinical differences between male and female prison inmates who require admission for suicidal ideation. Including a gender perspective in studies on suicide risk in the prison population can provide a solid foundation for future studies, thus allowing a more complete understanding of suicidal ideation and intervention needs in the prison population.

The prevalence of mental disorders among incarcerated adult men convicted of child sexual exploitation material offences.

Despite the growing body of research on individuals convicted of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), relatively little is known about the prevalence of mental disorders in this population. The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence of mental disorders among individuals convicted of CSEM offenses. This cross-sectional study examined data from 66 individuals serving a sentence for CSEM offenses in the Austrian prison system who underwent a clinical assessment between 2002 and 2020. Diagnoses were based on the German version of the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I and Axis II disorders. In the total sample, n=53 individuals (80.3%) were diagnosed with a mental disorder. Twenty-seven individuals (40.9%) had an Axis I disorder and n=47 (71.2%) had an Axis II disorder. More than two-thirds of the sample, n=47 (71.2%), had a personality disorder diagnosis, with cluster B personality disorders being the most frequent mental disorders. More than half of the sample, n=43 (65.2%), had a diagnosis of pedophilic disorder, of which n=9 (13.6%) were of the exclusive type. Twenty-eight persons (42.4%) showed evidence of a hypersexual disorder. In line with previous research, the present sample of convicted CSEM offenders showed a comparatively high prevalence of personality disorders and paraphilic disorders, particularly pedophilic disorders. Additionally, the rate of hypersexual disorder symptoms was considerably high. These findings should be considered for the development of successful risk management strategies for this population.

Is there a bias in the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder among racially minoritized patients?

Empirical evidence documents disparities in the diagnosis of severe forms of psychopathology among racial/ethnic minority persons. However, research on diagnostic differences in personality disorders is equivocal: Some suggest higher prevalence of personality disorders among racial/ethnic minority persons, whereas other results suggest the opposite. The goal of the current study was to investigate (a) differences in the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in a mostly cisgender, heterosexual sample among racial/ethnic minority patients compared with non-Hispanic White patients and (b) whether any observed differences were attributable to differences in underlying maladaptive personality domains. Using data from partial hospital patients (N = 2,657), we found few differences in the diagnosis of BPD based on racial/ethnic group membership. We also conducted measurement invariance analyses of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form (PID-5-BF), finding evidence of invariance across White and non-White participants in these data. Any instances of diagnostic disparity were explained by group differences in maladaptive personality domains. These results provide context to the extant literature documenting mixed results about racial/ethnic differences in prevalence of personality disorders. In addition, they suggest relative specificity in BPD diagnostic bias related to sexual minority populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychiatric comorbidity in individuals with bipolar disorder: relation with clinical outcomes and functioning.

The aim was to assess the lifetime prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity (PC) in Brazilian euthymic individuals with bipolar disorder type I, and investigate its effects on clinical outcomes and functioning. A group of 179 outpatients with BD-I in the recuperation phase were assessed, of whom 75 (41.9%) had PC and 104 (58.1%) had not. Both groups were compared using sociodemographic/clinical questionnaire, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV axis I and II, Sheehan Disability and Barratt Impulsiveness Scales. Patients with PC presented less religious affiliation, more history of lifetime psychotic symptoms, rapid cycling, suicide attempts, worse scores of functioning, and higher prevalence of personality disorders. Ordinal logistic regression indicated that PC was associated with increased odds of worse levels of disability. Therefore, it could be observed that patients with BD evaluated only in euthymia presented a high mental disorders comorbidity. Considering their burdensome impact, appropriate management is a challenging reality and a crucial factor in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with BD. Further longitudinal studies on their relationship may broaden interventions to reduce patient's suffering.

Suicidality in a psychiatric inpatient unit: a 2-year retrospective study in Umbria, central Italy.

Suicide ranks among the 10 leading causes of death worldwide; in Italy, almost 4000 persons per year die by suicide. Studies focusing on suicidality in Italian inpatient samples before the COVID-19 pandemic are scant. We, thus, aimed to define sociodemographic and clinical variables associated with suicidal ideation (SI) and deliberate self-harm (DSH) in a sample of inpatients admitted to a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit. This retrospective study was conducted in the Psychiatric Inpatient Unit of the Perugia Hospital, from January 2018 to December 2019. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, including diagnostic and treatment features, were collected from the medical records of subjects admitted for suicidality-related phenomena, namely DSH and SI. The prevalence of suicidality-related phenomena in the sample ( n = 850) was 14.12% (n=120) and was mainly due to DSH ( n = 84; 70%). Subjects hospitalized due to these conditions were more frequently females, separated, and displayed a higher prevalence of personality disorders, especially borderline personality disorder. People in the suicidality-related phenomena subgroup were more often committed involuntarily and reported multiple hospitalizations less frequently than other inpatients. They were receiving community treatment in a higher percentage of cases, and lithium was prescribed more frequently than among inpatients who were hospitalized for reasons other than suicidality. Our study provides a further characterization of psychiatric inpatients who experience SI or perform DSH. Targeted treatment strategies should be considered for subjects suffering from personality disorders who experience suicidality-related phenomena.

Psychological and behavioral characterization of suicide ideators and suicide attempters in adolescence.

Suicide is a global cause of death, a chronic disability, and a significant public health problem. Recent works emphasize the importance of differentiating people with suicide ideation (SI) and people with suicidal attempts (SA), so we conducted a clinical cross-sectional study to better characterize the features most associated with SA. We enrolled 88 adolescents (77 females) from 12 to 18 years of age (M = 15.21, SD = 1.63) admitted to Northern Italian Child Neurology and Psychiatry Service who presented SI and/or SA. We conducted an assessment using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, and divided participants into two groups: adolescents with SA, and adolescents with thoughts about killing themselves which may include a plan but no suicidal attempts (SI). We found that the SA group showed greater severity of SI [t(86) = −3.485, p < 0.001], higher levels of subjective depression [t(70) = −2.65, p = 0.01)], and a higher prevalence of personality disorders [ = 8.775, p = 0.032] than the SI group. Both groups presented a prevalence of internalizing problems compared to the externalizing ones in the Youth Self-Report (YSR). Higher scores on YSR internalizing problems correlate positively with the “Repulsion by Life” subscale of the Multi-Attitude Suicide Tendency (MAST) Scale in both SA and SI groups (p = 0.41 and p = 0.67, respectively), while low levels of the MAST “Attraction to Life” subscale appear more often in the SA one (p = −0.71). In conclusion, results showed that some features (e.g., prevalence of personality disorders, SI intensity, and subjective depression) might help clinicians distinguish between patients with SI and those with SA and support the importance of carefully pursuing this distinction in research.

Aesthetics and mental health: an increase in personality disorders

IntroductionThere has been a growing interest in our society for aesthetic interventions and achieving perfect beauty standards. We analyze its relationship with the mental health of our present time.Objectives1. Describe the most frequent pathologies associated with aesthetic interventions.2. Describe the population that most frequently uses these interventions.3. Management of this pathology.MethodsSystematic bibliographic review of the literature of the last 5 years following the PRISMA recommendations between March and June 2021.Results4 articles were included. Most of them coincide in a high prevalence of borderline personality disorders, high impulsivity, high levels of anxiety, low perceived self-esteem and dysmorphophobia. Greater coordination between physicians who are dedicated to aesthetics and mental health is proposed due to the rise of this fashion.Conclusions1. High increase in the use of aesthetic techniques.2. Women who consume these techniques more.3. High prevalence of personality disorders.4. High prevalence of dysmorphophobia.5. Referral is recommended in some cases to mental health consultations for specific treatment.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Evolutive Pattern of Major Depressive Disorder among Young Patients

Abstract Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) in young patients represents a real public health problem, with a concerning increase in its prevalence. Aim of the study: To observe and to document relevant information regarding the particularities and the evolutive clinical patterns of MDD in young patients (18–50 years). Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study on 68 patients diagnosed with MDD, aged 18–50 years, admitted to the First Department of Psychiatry of the Clinical County Hospital of Târgu Mureș, Romania between January 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020. Data regarding the patients’ psychiatric evaluation (primary and secondary diagnosis, relapses, associated personality disorders, autolytic attempts, treatment options, evolution, comorbidities) and psychological evaluation (HAM-D, HAM-A, GAF) were analyzed. Results: The highest prevalence of MDD was found in the 41–50 years age group (66%), followed by the 31–40 years age group (24%). Regarding the GAF and HAM-D scales, 90% of patients had scores in the range of 41–50 and &gt;20 respectively. We found a high prevalence of personality disorders (75%), the most common being borderline personality disorder (27%). Younger patients (18–35 years) tended to recover quicker, with an average of 8.15 hospitalization days compared to older patients (36–50 years) who had an average of 12 days. Relapses were present in 55% of cases, being more frequent in women, and there was a 50% rate of relapse in subjects with no social support network. Autolytic attempts were present in 25% of cases and insomnia in 92%. Conclusions: MDD has a major impact on the patients’ global functionality and their quality of life. In our study, women were more vulnerable to develop MDD, while younger adults were less prone to develop MDD and they recovered more quickly.

Mentaliser les conflits en thérapie de groupe : détruire et survivre, au service de la cohésion

La prévalence élevée des troubles de la personnalité et l’impact important de ces troubles sur le fonctionnement des individus atteints en font un enjeu majeur et incontournable des soins en santé mentale. Plusieurs traitements de psychothérapie ont démontré jusqu’à maintenant des bénéfices significatifs dans l’amélioration des difficultés liées à ces troubles. La thérapie basée sur la mentalisation (TBM), qui utilise la psychothérapie de groupe, est l’un des traitements reconnus comme efficaces. La modalité de groupe basée sur la mentalisation (TBM-G) présente toutefois des défis pour les psychothérapeutes. L’efficacité même de l’intervention de groupe repose, selon les auteurs, sur la capacité à stimuler la mentalisation, utiliser la dynamique de groupe, encourager la cohésion et permettre l’expérience d’une réappropriation réparatrice de situations conflictuelles, qui, à leur avis, sont sous-utilisées dans ce type de processus thérapeutique. Le présent article s’attarde, en ce sens, à des pistes d’interventions pour favoriser des attitudes mentalisantes dans un groupe de thérapie. Plus spécifiquement, nous tentons de réviser comment l’attention portée à ce qui se produit dans l’ici et maintenant, l’identification et la résolution du « détruit/trouvé » et le développement de métacognitions se veulent des techniques qui stimulent la cohésion et potentialisent le processus thérapeutique.

Management of Psychiatric Disorders with HIV and Dermatological Disorders.

Management of Psychiatric Disorders with HIV and Dermatological Disorders.

Psychological predictors of negative treatment outcome with Erenumab in chronic migraine: data from an open label long-term prospective study

BackgroundMonoclonal antibodies (mABs) targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway represent the first disease-specific preventive migraine therapy. Growing evidence suggests that they are effective in the preventive treatment of difficult-to-treat patients. In this study, we evaluated the psychological predictors of the outcome of treatment with the anti-CGRP monoclonal antibody erenumab in patients with chronic migraine (CM).MethodsSeventy-five patients with CM who had already failed at least 3 preventive therapies received erenumab every 28 days for a period of 12 months. Before the first administration, patients received a full psychological evaluation using The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Clinician Version (SCID-5-CV) to assess personality disturbances (primary outcome), mood and anxiety disorders, and as well specific questionnaires to evaluate alexithymia traits, childhood traumas, and current stressors (secondary outcomes).ResultsAfter 12 months of treatment, 53 patients reported a reduction of at least 50% in headache days/per month (Responders), whereas 22 did not (Non Responders). When compared to Responders, Non Responders were characterized by a higher prevalence of personality disorders belonging to Cluster C (avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive) (77% vs 37%, p = .001). Non Responders were also characterized by a higher prevalence of anxiety disorders (90% vs 60%, p = 0.007), showed more alexithymic traits (51.7 ± 13.7 vs 42.9 ± 14.3, p = 0.017), and reported a higher number of 'at least serious' current stressors (3.2 ± 4.0 vs 0.8 ± 1.4, p < .0001) than Responders. At the multivariate analysis, higher prevalence of Cluster C personality disorders (OR 3.697; p = 0.05) and higher number of ‘at least serious’ life events (OR 1.382; p = 0.017) arose as prognostic factors of erenumab failure.ConclusionsErenumab confirmed its effectiveness in a population of difficult-to-treat migraine. The presence of “anxious-fearful” personality together with current stressors and anxiety represent negative predictors of treatment outcome.Trial registrationThe study protocol was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04361721).

Personality disorders in temporal lobe epilepsy: What do they signify?

To estimate the prevalence of personality disorders in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) with mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) and compare it with general population and analyze their implications on treatment outcome. TLE was diagnosed based on clinical history, MRI, and Video EEG data. IPDE-ICD10 screening questionnaire was applied to investigate personality disorder in 120 subjects, 60 cases, and 60 normal controls. Bear-Fedio inventory (BFI) was used to study different behavior traits in patients with TLE and controls. Prevalence of personality disorders was higher (71.7% in cases versus 38.3% in controls) in patients with TLE compared to controls (P<.001). Some personality traits like schizoid (P=.002), dissocial (P=.001), impulsive (P=.003), anankastic (P<.001), anxious (P<.001), and dependent (P<.001) personalities were found to have high prevalence in TLE. Personality disorder was higher among those cases who had been tried on more than two antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) (P=.033) and in those with duration of illness more than 10years (P=.026). Cases also showed significantly higher score in BFI for all behavioral traits except for aggression. No significant difference of BFI score was seen based on laterality of epileptic focus, gender, duration of illness, or number of AEDs tried. There is a significantly higher prevalence of personality disorders in patients with TLE. Specific interventions for these disorders should be considered at the earliest pari passu with AEDs and surgery.

Exploring the Presence of Personality Disorders in a Sample of Psychiatric Inpatients

Objective: The study sought to explore the presence and determine the prevalence of personality disorders and their psychiatric comorbidities in a Slovakian psychiatric inpatient sample. Secondary goals were to describe the demographic determinants of personality disorders and to compare the prevalences of the particular personality disorders over the past two decades. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review study of psychiatric inpatients admitted to the 1st Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Louis Pasteur in Kosice, Slovakia during the years 2016-2017 who met the inclusion criteria and underwent psychological examination using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II (SCID-II). Results: Personality disorder was diagnosed in 146 (76%) of the 192 enrolled inpatients. The most prevalent were borderline (37.7%), obsessive-compulsive (15.8%), dependent (10.3%), and narcissistic (10.3%) personality disorder. Cluster B comprised 80 subjects (58%), followed by Cluster C with 50 subjects (36.2%) and Cluster A with 8 subjects (5.8%). The most common psychiatric comorbidities were code F40-F48 Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (27.6%), followed by F10-F19 Mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use (24.6%), and F30-F39 Mood (affective) disorders (23.9%). The prevalence of Cluster C increased, whereas Cluster A prevalence decreased over the past two decades. There was an increase in the prevalence of borderline and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder; the schizoid and the other personality disorders prevalences considerably decreased. Conclusion: The findings of high prevalence of personality disorders highlight the need for interviewing psychiatric inpatients for both personality disorders and psychiatric disorders in order to optimize their treatment.

Pathological personality facets and emotion (dys)regulation in gambling disorder.

A number of researches showed high prevalence of personality disorders among addicted gamblers. However, there are still few studies investigating the role of pathological personality facets in Gambling Disorder (GD). Moreover, the nature of the relationship between GD and pathological personality is not clear. We administered to a group of addicted gamblers (N=79) and a group of healthy participants (N=101) a battery of self-report questionnaires encompassing the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), The Personality Inventory for DSM-V (PID-5), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). Analyses of variance showed that addicted gamblers, compared to healthy participants, scored higher on most of the subscales of the DERS, on the Suppression Dimension of the ERQ and on the five main domains of the PID-5 whereas they obtained lower scores on the Reappraisal subscale of the ERQ. Moreover, multiple regression analyses indicated that some specific facets of pathological personality, emotion dysregulation and lack of cognitive reappraisal, significantly predict GD's severity. Finally, emotion dysregulation levels and lack of cognitive reappraisal partially mediated the relationship between these and GD's severity. Our results confirmed the central roles played by both pathological personality and deficit in emotion regulation capacities in GD. Specifically, Impulsivity, Lack of Perseverance and Suspiciousness may be important predictors of GD severity. Moreover, emotion dysregulation and lack of adaptive emotion regulation strategies partially explained such relationship. As such, training for emotion regulation abilities appears strategically useful in the treatment of addicted gamblers with pathological personality traits.

Personality disorders, addictions and psychopathy as predictors of criminal behaviour in a prison sample

Disturbances in personality and addictions are associated with an increased risk of committing crimes and therefore of being imprisoned. In this study, the relationship between these factors is analyzed through a sample of inmates in the Prison of Pereiro de Aguiar, Ourense. 204 inmates participated in this transversal simple blind design study. The following variables were analyzed: presence of personality disorders and psychopathy, history of addictive psychoactive substance use, criminal history and socio-demographic variables. 101 (49.5%) inmates received a diagnosis of personality disorder, the most frequent being: narcissistic, 43 (21.08%); antisocial, 38 (18.63%); and paranoid, 29 (14.22%). The presence of any personality disorder was associated with an increase in the risk of committing crimes, especially violence and crimes against property. The most frequent personality disorders were associated with higher scores in the psychopathy assessment tools. Higher scores in the Psychopathy Checklist Reviewed (PCL-R) correlated with an increased risk of committing the following crimes: violent, against public health, against property and disorderly conduct. The consumption of addictive psychoactive substances was associated with the commission of crimes against property. Methadone stood out for its protective role against the commission of violent crimes. This sample shows that inmates have a higher prevalence of personality disorders, psychopathy and consumption of addictive psychoactive substances. These three variables significantly increased the risk of committing crimes.

Trace elements among a sample of prisoners with mental and personality disorders and aggression: correlation with impulsivity and ADHD indices

ObjectivesMental, personality and substance use disorders are over represented among prisoners and aggressive individuals. The psychopathological and biological markers linked to mental functioning remain still unclear. In particular, the role of trace elements in mental illness is still matter of debate. Here, we investigated whether trace elements are correlated to specific psychopathological phenotype groups. MethodsAxis I and II disorders, aggression, impulsivity, adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) indices and serum levels of zinc, copper and cadmium were evaluated in 160 male prisoners. ResultsUsing latent class analysis we could subdivide prisoners into three distinct psychopathological classes: Class 1 characterized by low prevalence of aggression, personality disorders and substance abuse/dependence (alcohol, cannabis, cocaine); Class 2 represented by low prevalence of aggression and high prevalence of personality disorders and substance abuse/dependence; Class 3 defined by high prevalence of aggression, personality disorders and substance abuse/dependence. Serum levels of zinc were higher in Class 2 and 3 compared to Class 1. Moreover, Class 3 was associated with higher scores of impulsivity and ADHD indices. ConclusionOur results suggest that impulsivity but also adult ADHD indices are related to aggressive behaviour, and higher zinc levels are linked to personality disorders and addictions, but not to aggression.

Personality disorders in cluster headache: a study using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III.

A great deal of studies suggests that cluster headache (CH) patients are usually comorbid to anxiety-mood spectrum disorders and psychopathological symptoms; however, the personality profiles reported in the literature strictly depend on type of assessment used. Psychiatric comorbidities have been extensively studied in migraine and they are recognized to represent a major risk factor associated with poorer outcome, playing a role in the headache chronification process at once as cause and consequence of it. By contrast the incidence and role of psychopathological aspects in CH is still not clarified, insufficiently explored as the striking severity of such a physical pain apparently leaves no room to psychological explanations. The aim of the present study is to describe psychopathological aspects of CH patients by means of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III), a psychological assessment tool compatible to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) that correlates personality disorders (PDs) and clinical syndromes. We included all consecutive inward patients with CH between January 2014 and December 2016. Patients were evaluated using the MCMI-III a validated inventory assessing 14 PDs Scales (coordinate with DSM-IV Axis II disorders) and ten Clinical Syndrome Scales (coordinate with DSM-IV Axis I disorders). Twenty-six CH patients (24 chronic CH) were tested. Personality disorders were present in 92% of the patients. The most frequent PDs were: obsessive-compulsive (30.8%), histrionic (26.9%), narcissistic (11.5%), paranoid (11.5%) and avoidant (11.5%). According to the MCMI-III, patients with CH showed a high prevalence of personality disorders (Axis II-DSM-IV). PDs in CH patients can play an important role in determining CH course toward chronification. These preliminary results suggest that behavioral treatments can find room to support more conventional drug and neurostimulation therapies in these patients. In addition, the very high prevalence of PDs in our patients suggests that CH could in some cases be considered among the spectrum of somatoform and pain syndromes in patients with PDs.

Assessment of diagnostic information and quality of working alliance with clients diagnosed with personality disorders during the mental health intake

Background: A primary purpose of diagnostic systems is to improve care, yet, little is known about how providers use it routine clinical care.Aims: We investigated specific DSM-IV personality disorders (PDs) diagnostic information therapists collected during intake visits and the association between a therapist PD diagnosis and clients’ and therapists’ reports of the quality of working alliance during the intake.Method: A total of 122 intakes (n = 34, 27.9% were diagnosed with PD) in four community mental health clinics in Israel were audiotaped. Immediately following the intake, clients and therapists completed the working alliance inventory (WAI). Independent clinicians coded the intakes using an information checklist.Results: Despite the relatively high prevalence of PD in regular psychiatric care, very limited PD diagnostic information was directly assessed during the intake. Therapists evaluated the quality of the working alliance when they saw a client they diagnosed with PD as significantly lower than the rating of a client without a PD, while the clients’ ratings did not differ as a result of their diagnosis.Conclusions: Therapists do not collect sufficient explicit diagnostic information to base their PD diagnostic decisions. Yet, the presence of PD diagnosis affects their rapport with their clients as early as the intake.