The relationship of personality disorders to treatment outcome in depressed patient – two years follow up in retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Many clinicians believe that depressed patients with comorbid personality disorder(s) may respond differently to standard treatments than patients with depression alone. Personality disorders appear to be common among patients with depression, suggesting potentially significant treatment implications for a large group of patients. METHODS: The aim of the study was to assess retrospectively the efficacy of the in-patients therapeutic program for in patients suffering from depressive disorder and comorbid personality disorder or depressive disorder alone. Authors reviewed the records of patients with depressive disorder and any possible personality disorder during acute treatment and monitor following two-year follow up. The main question was to find number of past hospitalizations and rehospitalizations around index episode of depression, doses of medication or comedication and duration of the treatment. RESULTS: There were 84 patients (67.9% women) diagnosed with depressive episode, who were included into the study. Any personality disorder was diagnosed in 40.5%. The age, onset and length of disease, gender, marital status, employment, suicide attempts, duration of treatment, and dose of medication or comedication did not differ between group of patients with personality disorder and group of patients without personality disorder. There was a significant difference in the number of previous hospitalizations between groups, which were significantly higher in patients with personality disorder. During twoyear follow up 33.33% of patients were rehospitalized. There was not found a significant difference in number of rehospitalizations and length of the rehospitalizations among patients with or without comorbid personality disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The finding that the presence of a comorbid personality disorder does not affect overall depression treatment response is similar to that reported by some recent studies.