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Generalized social phobia and avoidant personality disorder: meaningful distinction or useless duplication?
Author(s) -
Chambless Dianne L.,
Fydrich Thomas,
Rodebaugh Thomas L.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/da.20266
Subject(s) - avoidant personality disorder , psychology , typology , personality , personality disorders , clinical psychology , psychiatry , psychotherapist , social psychology , sociology , anthropology
Participants with generalized social phobia (GSP) with ( n =36) and without ( n =19) avoidant personality disorder (AVPD) were compared via contrasts of group means and classification analysis on purported core features of AVPD. GSP‐AVPD participants proved to be more severely impaired or distressed on some group contrasts. Cluster analysis identified two groups in the sample, with group membership significantly correlated to AVPD diagnosis. However, almost all significant findings were nullified when severity of social phobia was statistically controlled. Thus, at least where participants with social phobia are concerned, it seems most parsimonious to consider AVPD a severe form of GSP rather than a separate diagnostic category. Depression and Anxiety 0:1–12 2006. Published 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.