DSM-III-R personality disorders and Eysenck's personality dimensions

The relationship between DSM-III-R personality disorder scale scores and scores on Eysenck's dimensions of neuroticism, extraversion (E), and psychoticism (P, toughmindedness) was examined to test the idea that DSM-III-R personality disorders are variants of basic personality traits. One hundred and seventy-three medical students completed the Personality Disorder Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R) and Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). Scales were jointly factored, the analysis yielded three factors accounting for 61% of the variance. The first factor had significant (>0.4) positive loadings on neuroticism, and positive loadings on all personality disorder scores other than schizoid and antisocial. The second factor had a negative loading on E, as well as on DSM-III-R schizoid scores. The third factor had a positive loading on P, as well as on DSM-III-R schizotypal and antisocial scores. The results suggest that in a non-clinical population personal distress is related to most DSM-III-R disorder scores, and that toughmindedness (P) is related to the DSM-III-R odd and dramatic personality disorder clusters.