Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder: A Search for a Syndrome
IVER F. SMALL M.D.1,
JOYCE G. SMALL M.D.1,
VINCENT B. ALIG M.D.2, , and
DONALD F. MOORE M.D.3
1 Professors of psychiatry, department of psychiatry, Larue D. Carter Memorial Hospital, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1315 W. 10th St., Indianapolis, Ind. 46202
2 Assistant professor of psychiatry, department of psychiatry, Larue D. Carter Memorial Hospital, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1315 W. 10th St., Indianapolis, Ind. 46202
3 Professor of psychiatry and medical director of the hospital, department of psychiatry, Larue D. Carter Memorial Hospital, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1315 W. 10th St., Indianapolis, Ind. 46202
This paper presents data from a seven- to 15-year follow-up study of 100 patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of passive-aggressive personality disorder, who were compared with 50 matched controls with other psychiatric diagnoses. The clinical features of the subjects were remarkably homogeneous both on cross-sectional and longitudinal evaluations. Their psychopathology was most prominent in disturbances of interpersonal relationships and social behavior, affective reactions, and somatic complaints; some also had problems with depressive episodes and/or alcohol abuse. The clinical features were relatively stable over time, although some patients appeared to have improved with outpatient psychotherapy.
