Relationship between neurosis and personality disorder.

316 psychiatric patients--predominantly out-patients--with a clinical diagnosis of neurosis (International Classification of Disease), were given an interview schedule for assessing personality disorders. Nearly two fifths were rated as having personality disorder, the anankastic type being the most common and sociopathic personality disorder the least. Patients with anxiety, phobic and obsessional neurosis were all significantly more likely to show personality disorder than those with depressive neurosis. Broadly, passive-dependent personalities were linked to anxiety neurosis, anankastic personality disorder to obsessional neurosis, and both anankastic and passive-dependent personalities to phobic neurosis. In a clinical trial of the efficacy of two dosage regimes of phenelzine in 60 patients the presence of personality disorder significantly impaired clinical outcome. The results suggest strongly that the assessment of personality in neurotic disorders is necessary to make an adequate diagnosis and predict the outcome of treatment.