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December 05, 2008
Study indicates 20 percent of young adults may have a personality disorder
The AP (12/2, Tanner) reports, "Almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life, and even more abuse alcohol or drugs," according to a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Mark Olfson, M.D., M.P.H., of Columbia University, and colleagues, analyzed data from "interviews with 5,092 young adults [conducted] in 2001 and 2002." Participants "were questioned about their behavior in the previous year, based on symptoms listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," Bloomberg News (12/2, Lopatto) adds.
The researchers found that "almost half of [the] college-aged adults had a psychiatric disorder over a one-year span, based on research criteria that ranged from bipolar disease, to substance abuse, including smoking." Notably, the investigators discovered that about 20 percent of the "students failed to fulfill an obligation, had a legal problem, did something dangerous, or caused social problems by using alcohol."
The study also showed that "the next most common psychiatric problems were so-called personality disorders, including obsessive-compulsive behavior, at 18 percent."
Related Links:
- "About Half of College-Aged Had Psychiatric Disorders ," Elizabeth Lopatto, Bloomberg News, December 1, 2008.
Posted by admin at December 5, 2008 03:57 PM