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Svenn Torgersen, PhD; Einar Kringlen, MD; Victoria Cramer, PhD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001;58:590-596.

Background  To our knowledge, no previous studies of personality disorders (PDs) in a large representative sample of the common population have been conducted.

Methods  A representative sample of 2053 individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 years in Oslo, the capital of Norway, was studied from 1994 to 1997. Information about PDs was obtained by means of the Structured Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders, in conjunction with an interview recording demographic data. The subjects were interviewed primarily at home, but in some instances, also at the clinic.

Results  The prevalence of PDs was 13.4% (SE, 0.7). The prevalence rates (SEs) for specific PDs, irrespective of whether a person had 1 or more PD, were: paranoid, 2.4% (0.3); schizoid, 1.7% (1.6); schizotypal, 0.6% (0.2); antisocial, 0.7% (0.2); sadistic, 0.2% (0.1); borderline, 0.7% (0.2); histrionic, 2.0% (0.3); narcissistic, 0.8; (0.2); avoidant, 5.0% (0.5); dependent, 1.5% (0.3); obsessive-compulsive: 2.0% (0.3); passive-aggressive, 1.7% (0.3); self-defeating, 0.8%, (0.2). The prevalence of PDs was highest among subjects with only a high school education or less, and living without a partner in the center of the city.

Conclusions  Personality disorders were found to be prevalent, with avoidant, schizoid, and paranoid PDs more common, and borderline PD less common than what is usually reported. Personality disorders tend to be more frequent among single individuals from the lower socioeconomic classes in the center of the city. It is impossible to determine what is cause and what is consequence from a cross-sectional study.

From Center of Research in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology (Dr Torgersen), and the Department of Psychiatry, Oslo University, Oslo, Norway (Dr Kringlen); and Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo (Drs Kringlen and Cramer).

Corresponding author and reprints: Svenn Torgersen, PhD, Department of Psychology, Oslo University, PO Box 1039, Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway (e-mail: Svenn.Torgersen{at}psykologi.uio.no).

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