Abstract
A substantial body of research has found that spinal cord injury (SCI) patients have relatively high degrees of energy, impulsivity, and risk-taking (W. Fordyce, 1964; G. P. Taylor, 1970; B. Woodbury, 1978). The present study endeavors to extend our knowledge to the personality disorder (PD) domain. Forty SCI participants and 40 matched controls were given a semistructured diagnostic interview and a self-report personality disorder instrument. Findings indicated that 27.5% of SCI patients, and a similar number of controls, have PDs. Unexpectedly, impulsive/externalizing disorders (histrionic, narcissistic, antisocial, and borderline) were not unusually high in SCI patients, and were not higher than controls. Avoidant and depressive disorders were unexpectedly high.
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Bockian, N.R., Lee, A. & Fidanque, C.S. Personality Disorders and Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings 10, 307–313 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026309622586
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026309622586