OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics related to avoidant attachment of 13 schizoid/avoidant psychiatric outpatients and 20 nonschizoid/avoidant psychiatric outpatients. METHOD: Three scales ("maintains distance in relationships", "high priority on self-sufficiency" and "attachment relationship is a threat to security") differentiated schizoid and avoidant personality disordered patients from other personality disordered patients. RESULTS: The results are discussed in terms of the attachment and DSM diagnostic models of avoidant styles in relationships. CONCLUSION: The 2 groups of schizoid and avoidant personality disordered patients were not significantly different on the desire for close affectional bonds scale.