Nature and prevalence of personality disorders amongst patients receiving treatment for alcohol dependence

Abstract

This study was designed to establish the proportion of patients receiving treatment for alcohol dependence who met criteria for personality disorder before the onset of their alcohol problem. Patients were assessed using criteria for all DSM-III-R personality disorders; behaviour attributable to intoxication was excluded from diagnostic decisions. One quarter met DSM-III-R criteria for at least one personality disorder prior to alcohol dependence. Such patients: were younger, less often married, and more often unemployed; reported earlier onset of alcohol-related problems; first received help at a younger age; progressed more rapidly from moderate drinking to alcohol-related problems; were more likely to discontinue treatment prematurely. Personality disorder diagnoses seldom appeared in clinical notes. Accurate identification of patients with personality disorder is valuable for both clinical and research purposes. Further research in community samples is required to clarify the relationship between alcohol dependence and personality disorder.