Fræðigrein

The prevalence of personality disorders vas estimated in a sample of 805 individuals randomly selected from the greater Reykjavik area. The sample consisted of 3 equally large cohorts of persons born in 1931, 1951 and 1971. The individuals were asked to participate in a survey of mental health. Of those contacted, 52% of the total group participated. The instrument used for estimating personality disorders was the DIP-Q. The results show that the overall percentage with any disorder was 11 % according to DSM-IV and 12 % according to ICD-10. The most frequent disorder of the whole group, according to DSM-IV criteria, was obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (7.3 %) and schizotypal personality disorder according to ICD-10 criteria, which was to be found in 9% of the group. Other disorders were less frequently found. Comorbidity was high among those with a personality disorder. Of those with disorders according to DSM-IV, 67% had more than one disorder. Similarly, according to the ICD criteria, comorbidity was to be found in 80% of the sample.

Among women, anxious/avoidant personality disorder was the most common, with the highest sub-group prevalence found among those born in 1971. Similarly, among the men, schizotypal personality disorder was the most common, and most commonly found in the 1971 age group.

 

Figure 1: Number of diagnoses per individual in %

 

TABLE I.  Participants, non-participation and participation percentages.

Total sample, reasons for non-participation and participation percentages.

 

TABLE II. Icelandic names of personality disorders.

 

TABLE III. Personality disorders of those born in 1931.  The number of females completing the test was 64 and males 69.

 

TABLE IV. Personality disorders of those born in 1951.  The number of females completing the test was 86 and males 64.

 

TABLE V. Personality disorders of those born in 1971.  The number of females completing the test was 70 and males 60.

 

TABLE VI. Total number of Icelandic participants with DSM IV diagnosis. Comparison with foreign DSM-III-R results.

 

TABLE  VII. The hierarchical frequency of personality disorders among the participants in the study.

All birth cohorts are shown together. Depicted are DSM-IV and ICD-10 personality disorders.

The most common disorder is number 1.