Personality Disorder Comorbidity in Treatment-Seeking Men with Hypersexual Disorder

Abstract

Consideration of Hypersexual Disorder as a diagnosable condition has led to recognition that various aspects of its psychopathology, including comorbidity, are largely unknown. Comorbidity with personality disorders (PDs) has been hypothesized, but the few studies assessing PD comorbidity are limited by sample size, recruitment methods, and varying definitions of hypersexuality. This study examines the presence of confirmed PD diagnoses among 132 men seeking treatment for Hypersexual Disorder, as diagnosed by the criteria proposed for DSM-5. The SCID-II Personality Questionnaire, a screening measure for DSM-IV-TR PDs, suggested potential disorders in 92% of the sample. However, only 17% of the sample met full criteria for a PD based on the SCID-II interview. Thus, whereas personality-based difficulty appears commonplace in these men, the broad, severe dysfunction required for a PD diagnosis does not. This prevalence is higher than expected for community samples, but lower than for either general clinic samples or that found in previous studies. The differences between this and previous studies may arise largely out of different sampling methods, suggesting that PD comorbidity among hypersexuals may be strongly influenced by other factors. Implications for clinicians and researchers are discussed.