Personality profiles in patients referred for chest pain. Investigation with emphasis on panic disorder patients.

Patients (N = 199) referred to cardiac outpatient investigation because of chest pain were assessed with the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ-4). Thirty-nine percent scored positive for any personality disorder. Borderline and avoidant personality disorders were found significantly more often in patients with panic disorder (PD) (n = 72) than in patients without PD (12.5% vs. 2.5%, 23.7% vs. 7.7%, respectively). In PD patients, the presence of any personality disorder was significantly associated with higher scores of self-reported anxiety-agoraphobia symptoms, neuroticism, and the presence of suicidal thoughts. These results suggest that personality pathology is important in a subgroup of patients presenting with chest pain and that these patients may require more extensive treatment.