DSM-III-R and Eysenck personality measures among patients in a substance abuse programme

The relationship between DSM-III-R personality disorder scale scores and scores on Eysenck's dimensions of neuroticism (N), extraversion (E), and psychoticism (P, toughmindedness) was examined among patients in a substance abuse program. Ninety-seven patients completed the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R) and Eysenck's Personality questionnaire (EPQ). Scales were jointly factored, the analysis yielded three factors accounting for 65% of the variance. The first factor had significant (> 0.4) positive loadings on neuroticism and on all personality disorder scores other than schizoid and antisocial. The second factor had a significant positive loading on psychoticism, as well as on DSM-III-R passive-aggressive, narcissistic, borderline, and antisocial scores. The third factor had a negative loading on extraversion, and a positive loading on DSM-III-R schizoid scores. The results suggest that in this population personal distress is related to most DSM-III-R disorder scores, and that toughmindedness (P) is related to the DSM-III-R dramatic personality disorder cluster.