Research on personality disorders published by scientists at University of Oslo
2007 OCT 8 -- "The main explanatory hypothesis for the distinction between social phobia (SP) and avoidant personality disorder (APD) has been the severity continuum hypothesis, stating that APD only differs from SP in terms of severity of dysfunction and symptomatic distress, that is, social anxiety and depressive symptoms. This study aimed at a comprehensive evaluation of this hypothesis in a large sample (n = 2192) of thoroughly assessed patients, most of whom had a diagnosis of personality disorder," scientists writing in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry report. "Social phobia was stronger associated with APD than with other personality disorders, and APD was stronger associated with SP than with other symptom disorders. Social phobia-pure patients had a higher level of global functioning and lower levels of general symptom distress and interpersonal problems than APD-pure patients. The 2 groups were similar on domains that pertain to social anxiety and introversion, but APD was associated with a broader array of symptoms and interpersonal problems and was substantially lower on the personality domain of conscientiousness. Avoidant personality disorder was stronger associated with eating disorders, and SP was stronger associated with panic disorder. The APD diagnosis seems to capture a broader constellation of symptoms and personality features pointing toward more severe personality dysfunction," wrote B. Hummelen and colleagues, University of Oslo. The researchers concluded: "Our findings suggest that the severity continuum hypothesis lacks specificity and exploratory power to account for both similarities and differences between SP and APD." Hummelen and colleagues published their study in Comprehensive Psychiatry (The relationship between avoidant personality disorder and social phobia. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 2007;48(4):348-356). Additional information can be obtained by contacting B. Hummelen, University of Oslo, Ulleval Hospital, Dept. of Research & Education, Division Psychiatry, N-0407 Oslo, Norway. The publisher of the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry can be contacted at: W B Saunders Co-Elsevier Inc., 1600 John F Kennedy Boulevard, Ste. 1800, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2899, USA. Keywords: Norway, Oslo, Personality Disorders, Anxiety, Mental Health, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Phobic Disorders, Psychiatry, Social Phobias, University of Oslo. This article was prepared by Mental Health Weekly Digest editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2007, Mental Health Weekly Digest via NewsRx.com.
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