DSM-III-R BRIEF REACTIVE PSYCHOSIS AND PERSONALITY-DISORDERS

DSM-III and DSM-III-R defined the diagnostic criteria of brief reactive psychosis (BRP) identifying some personality disorders (PDs) as predisposing factors: up to now no experimental data support this hypothesis. In this research, the authors studied the link between BRP and PDs, assessing axis II diagnosis (SIDP-R), after recovery of BRP in a group of 23 patients. Eighty-seven percent of the patients (n = 19) received at least one diagnosis of PDs. The widespread presence of PDs and, particularly, the high prevalence of cluster C (n = 11, 47.8%), are only partially in accordance with the hypothesis of DSM-III. A possible alternative model of interaction is suggested.