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An epidemiological study of histrionic personality disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

G. Nestadt,
A. J. Romanoski,
R. Chahal,
A. Merchant,
M. F. Folstein,
E. M. Gruenberg and
P. R. McHugh
G. Nestadt*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, USA
A. J. Romanoski
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, USA
R. Chahal
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, USA
A. Merchant
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, USA
M. F. Folstein
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, USA
E. M. Gruenberg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, USA
P. R. McHugh
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, USA
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Gerald Nestadt, Department of Psychiatry, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Meyer 228, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Synopsis

In conjunction with the Epidemiological Catchment Area (ECA) survey conducted in Baltimore, MD, a two-stage probability sample of community subjects was developed with a full psychiatric examination employing DSM-III criteria. This report details the observations on those subjects diagnosed with the DSM-III diagnosis Histrionic Personality Disorder. The results indicate that this condition can be diagnosed reliably and that it is a valid construct. It has a prevalence of 2·1 % in a general population. Males and females are equally affected, suggesting that prior reports of an increased prevalence in females was an expression of ascertainment bias found in hospital-based studies. The diagnosis is associated with clear evidence of disturbance in the emotional, behavioural, and social realms. Individuals with this disorder tend to use health care facilities more frequently than others.

Information

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , May 1990, pp. 413 - 422
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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