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The Prevalence of Personality Disorders in a Community Sample
Svenn Torgersen, PhD;
Einar Kringlen, MD;
Victoria Cramer, PhD
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001;58:590-596.
Background To our knowledge, no previous studies of personality disorders (PDs)
in a large representative sample of the common population have been conducted.
Methods A representative sample of 2053 individuals between the ages of 18 and
65 years in Oslo, the capital of Norway, was studied from 1994 to 1997. Information
about PDs was obtained by means of the Structured Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders, in conjunction with an interview recording
demographic data. The subjects were interviewed primarily at home, but in
some instances, also at the clinic.
Results The prevalence of PDs was 13.4% (SE, 0.7). The prevalence rates (SEs)
for specific PDs, irrespective of whether a person had 1 or more PD, were:
paranoid, 2.4% (0.3); schizoid, 1.7% (1.6); schizotypal, 0.6% (0.2); antisocial,
0.7% (0.2); sadistic, 0.2% (0.1); borderline, 0.7% (0.2); histrionic, 2.0%
(0.3); narcissistic, 0.8; (0.2); avoidant, 5.0% (0.5); dependent, 1.5% (0.3);
obsessive-compulsive: 2.0% (0.3); passive-aggressive, 1.7% (0.3); self-defeating,
0.8%, (0.2). The prevalence of PDs was highest among subjects with only a
high school education or less, and living without a partner in the center
of the city.
Conclusions Personality disorders were found to be prevalent, with avoidant, schizoid,
and paranoid PDs more common, and borderline PD less common than what is usually
reported. Personality disorders tend to be more frequent among single individuals
from the lower socioeconomic classes in the center of the city. It is impossible
to determine what is cause and what is consequence from a cross-sectional
study.
From Center of Research in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology
(Dr Torgersen), and the Department of Psychiatry, Oslo University, Oslo, Norway
(Dr Kringlen); and Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo (Drs Kringlen and Cramer).
Corresponding author and reprints: Svenn Torgersen, PhD, Department
of Psychology, Oslo University, PO Box 1039, Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway
(e-mail: Svenn.Torgersen{at}psykologi.uio.no).
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