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Personality disorders have no excessively negative impact on therapist‐rated therapy process in the cognitive and behavioural treatment of Axis I anxiety disorders
Author(s) -
Dreessen Laura,
Arntz Arnoud
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
clinical psychology and psychotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.315
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1099-0879
pISSN - 1063-3995
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0879(199911)6:5<384::aid-cpp218>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - personality pathology , personality disorders , psychology , dysfunctional family , anxiety , personality , clinical psychology , psychotherapist , avoidant personality disorder , cognitive therapy , cognition , psychiatry , psychoanalysis
The impact of DSM‐III‐R personality pathology on the Axis I therapy process was studied in 70 outpatients who received cognitive and/or behavioural therapy for an Axis I anxiety disorder. The Axis I therapy process was evaluated by the therapist. DSM‐III‐R personality pathology was assessed first by an independent rater using a semi‐structured interview (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐III‐R Personality Disorders (SCID‐II)) and second by the therapist in the course of treatment. Results showed poor diagnostic agreement between SCID‐ and therapist‐derived personality pathology. SCID‐derived personality pathology was only weakly related to a dysfunctional Axis I therapy process, as reported by the therapist. Therapist‐derived personality pathology, on the contrary, was strongly related to a dysfunctional Axis I therapy process, as reported by the therapist. Possibly, therapists erroneously attributed Axis I therapy failure to assumed personality pathology. This is the first study on the impact of personality pathology, as assessed by an independent semi‐structured interview, on the process of cognitive‐behavioural therapy for Axis I anxiety disorders. The findings are consistent with studies that show no negative impact of personality pathology, as assessed by independent semi‐structured interviews, on therapy outcome of Axis I anxiety disorders. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.