The Relationship between Personality Disorders and Quality of Life in Adolescent Outpatients

Abstract

Background: During recent years, there has been an increasing focus on the benefits of the early detection and treatment of personality disorders in adolescents. Previous studies of adults have shown that the number of personality disorder criteria met is negatively correlated with a patient's quality of life and general functioning. Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of personality disorders, particularly with regard to the correlation between the number of personality disorder criteria fulfilled and self-perceived quality of life. Distribution according to gender and age in a clinical sample of adolescent outpatients were also considered. Method: This study included 153 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17 years who were referred to a mental health outpatient clinic. Personality disorders were assessed using the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality. Quality of life was assessed using the Youth Quality of Life Instrument -Research Version, which is a 41-item questionnaire that covers broad aspects of quality of life. Axis I disorders were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Results: Results demonstrated that 21.6% of the adolescents met the diagnostic criteria for at least one personality disorder. A relationship between the number of personality disorder criteria met and reduced quality of life was found. No significant gender differences with regard to the prevalence of each of the personality disorders were revealed. Adjustment for the presence of Axis I disorders did not appreciably affect these findings Conclusion: The present study indicates that reduced quality of life as a result of the number of personality disorder criteria met affects adolescents in much the same way that it does adults. This further emphasizes the clinical importance of including quality of life assessment as part of the general diagnostic procedures used with adolescents.

Substance abuse and personality disorder comorbidity in adolescent outpatients: are girls more severely ill than boys?

“…This left 201 adolescents eligible for inclusion in the study. The attrition was 48 (23.9 %); lack of consent from parents (N = 5, 10.4 %), referral retracted prior to interview (N = 6, 12.5 %), lack of consent from the adolescent (N = 7, 14.6 %), did not show up for appointment (N = 11, 22.9 %), and consent retracted during interview (N = 19, 39.6 %) [ 44 ].…”

“…All referred patients in the study’s age group were asked to participate. Exclusion criteria were the need for immediate hospitalization or other urgent therapeutic measures, clinically assessed mental retardation, lack of fluency in the Norwegian language, and absence of the evaluator at the time of referral [ 44 ].…”

Affective instability across the lifespan in borderline personality disorder – a cross‐sectional e‐diary study

“…Moreover, studies have found a linear relationship between the number of BPD criteria met and the actual dysfunction and reduction in quality of life with higher numbers of BPD criteria met implying poorer functioning and greater reduction in quality of life . The effects of a personality disorder on functioning and quality of life may be even worse when a comorbid axis I disorder is diagnosed .…”

Personality Disorders as a Possible Moderator of the Effects of Relational Interventions in Short-Term Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy with Depressed Adolescents

“…The symptoms may seem consistent with the typical adolescence features but can be clearly distinguished from these by its severe, pervasive and persistent nature. Although often examined in isolation, major depressive disorder (MDD) shows a high level of co-morbidity with a range of PDs, especially BPD [ 11 ].…”

“…Earlier studies indicated that as many as 25% of adolescents treated in mental health outpatient clinics meet the diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) alone, rising to 49% in inpatient units [ 13 , 15 , 20 ]. A study of unselected adolescents referred to a non-specialized mental health outpatient clinic showed that 22% of the referred adolescents had at least one PD, with cluster B (i.e., mainly borderline) and cluster C (i.e., mainly avoidant and dependent) being the most prevalent PDs [ 11 ]. Hence, the distribution of PDs among adolescents did not differ from the distribution found in equivalent adult samples.…”