A 6-year follow-up study of anxiety disorders in psychiatric outpatients: Development and continuity with personality disorders and personality traits as predictors

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the clinical determinants of chronicity and development in new cases of anxiety disorders. Two hundred and eighty-four patients with different psychiatric diagnoses treated at an outpatient unit were followed up after a period of 6 years. Almost 40% of those with anxiety disorder on admission (131 patients) still had an anxiety disorder at follow up. Less than 10% of those without an anxiety disorder (153 patients) had developed an anxiety disorder. Social phobia appeared to be the most chronic, and generalized anxiety disorder the least chronic. Co-occurrence of different anxiety disorder predicted the chronicity of the specific anxiety disorder. One anxiety disorder often predicted the development of another anxiety disorder. Several personality disorders and personality traits predicted the chronicity and development of new anxiety disorders. Borderline, obsessive-compulsive, paranoid, self-defeating, and avoidant personality disorders were the most important long-term predictors of anxiety disorders at follow up.