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Level of personality functioning among outpatients with predominant anxiety symptoms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

A. Bogdanovska Toskic*
Affiliation:
1Psychiatry, General Hospital Kumanovo, Kumanovo
S. Arsova Hadzi-Angjelkovska
Affiliation:
2Psychiatry, University Clinic of Psychiatry, Skopje, North Macedonia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Dimensional diagnosis of personality disorders has as its main criterion the assessment of the level of functionality. And in patients with other diagnostic categories, there is a difference in the degree of functioning, as well as a difference in the course and prognosis of the disorder. The reason for such a different course may be the existence of a certain degree of personality dysfunctionality.

Objectives

The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of personality disorder in patients with neurotic disorder and predominantly anxiety symptomatology.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study was made to determine personality disorder in patients with neurotic disorder (F40-F48, excluding those where the disorder is related to stress F43) and predominantly anxiety symptomatology. The HAM-A scale was used to assess anxiety, and the LPFS-BF-2.0 was used to assess the level of personality functioning. The results were processed by descriptive statistical analysis.

Results

The study included 25 individuals (N 25, 64% women), aged between 18 and 65 years (mean age 44.16, SD 13.20) with a diagnosed neurotic disorder. All subjects had elevated anxiety symptomatology, mean HAM-A score was 35.36 (SD 7.76). The assessment of the level of personality functioning with the LPFS-BF-2.0 gave the following results: 20% of people have a personality difficulty, 12% have a mild personality disorder, 32% have a moderate and 4% have a severe personality disorder.

Conclusions

According to the obtained results, 68% of people with a neurotic disorder and a high degree of anxiety have a certain degree of personality dysfunction. The prevalence of personality disorder in individuals with neurotic disorder is high (48%). These results lead to the conclusion that people with pronounced anxiety often have a disruption in personality. In people with a high level of anxiety, an assessment should be made for the level of functioning of the person, as well as for the existence of a personality disorder, and the treatment should be adjusted according to the results obtained. In addition to the treatment of the emerging symptoms, the personality dysfunctions should also be treated.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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