U. ALBERT, C. BERGESIO, V. LASAPONARA, G. MAINA, F. BOGETTO - Vol. 9, December 2003, Issue 4
Testo Immagini Bibliografia Summary Indice
Disturbi di personalità nel disturbo
di panico con e senza agorafobia
Personality disorders in panic disorder with and without agoraphobia
Objective
Panic Disorder (PD) and the development of agoraphobia appear to have a clear
linkage. The present study focused the attention on the role of Axis II comorbidity
in predisposing agoraphobia; we compared patients with PD and agoraphobia
(PDA) to subjects without agoraphobia (PDN) for the presence of personality
disorders.
Methods
86 out-patients with a principal diagnosis of PD (DSM-IV; SCID) were included
in the present study: of them 51 with and 35 without agoraphobia. All patients
were assessed using a semistructured clinical interview for: 1) socio-demographic
data; 2) Axis I and Axis II diagnosis (SCID-I and II); 3) clinical features
of PD. For statistical comparison the sample was split into two groups according
to the presence or absence of agoraphobia.
Results
No differences were observed in socio-demographic features. Patients with
agoraphobia showed an earlier age at PD onset. PDA displayed a significantly
higher prevalence of personality disorders than did patients without agoraphobia.
Statistical analysis showed borderline and histrionic personality disorders
significantly associated with agoraphobia and dependent personality disorder
with a trend toward significance.
Conclusions
Our study confirms early onset as a risk factor for the development of agoraphobia;
moreover it suggests that personality disorders might predispose to agoraphobia.