We compared the drug treatments and health service contacts of anxious and depressed patients with and without personality disturbance in a cohort of 200 patients over 30 years. Details of all contacts made with health professionals at 5, 12 and 30 years were recorded. Multilevel models based on follow-up data at all time points were used. Over 30 years, patients with dependent and anankastic personality disturbance and cothymia ( the general neurotic syndrome) were 2.27 times more likely to receive SSRI and new antidepressants (95%CI: 1.22-4.24), and were 1.6 weeks (95% CI: 1.2-2.3) longer on the drug than those without the syndrome. Similar results with SSRI’s and new antidepressants in patients with personality disorder fell short of significance after adjusting for age, gender and DSM status. Most patients had a DSM diagnosis at follow-up points, and these had increased psychological treatment, psychiatric admissions, multiple drugs, SSRI’s and new antidepressants. At later follow-up most drug treatments decreased apart from psychological treatment, SSRI’s and new antidepressants. Over 30 years, those with personality disorder had longer drug treatments than others. It is concluded that anxiety and depressive disorders, whether or not associated with personality disturbance, receive many treatments without resolution of symptoms.