Personality dimensions of schizophrenia patients compared to control subjects by gender and the relationship with illness severity.

Carmen Miralles,Lorena Moreno,Begoña Verge,Yolanda Alonso,Alfonso Gutiérrez-Zotes,Elisabet Vilella,María J Cortés,Sònia Setó,Lourdes Martorell,Ana M Gaviria

doi:10.1186/1471-244x-14-151

Carmen Miralles, Lorena Moreno + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244x-14-151

Copy DOI

Abstract

BackgroundPersonality traits and schizophrenia present gender differences; however, gender has not been considered in most studies on personality and schizophrenia. This study aims to identify the different personality dimensions of schizophrenia patients and healthy control subjects by gender and to explore the relationship between personality dimensions and illness severity variables by analyzing data for males and females separately.MethodsTemperament and Character Inventory-Revised dimensions were compared by gender between 161 schizophrenia patients and 214 healthy controls from a population-based sample using independent t-tests. We then investigated whether personality dimensions are related to illness severity variables using correlation analyses and bivariate logistic regression, also by gender.ResultsThe patients had significantly higher scores for harm avoidance (HA) and self-transcendence (ST) and lower scores for reward dependence (RD), cooperativeness (C), and self-directedness (SD) than the controls. Similar results were obtained when the sample was stratified by gender, however the differences were higher and more significant for HA among males and for RD among females. The number of admissions to a psychiatric hospital positively correlated with novelty seeking (NS) in males and negatively with SD in females. In males, SD and ST negatively correlated with the number of suicide attempts.ConclusionsMale and female patients present difficulties for regulating and adapting behavior to achieve goals (SD) and for identifying and accepting others (C), as well as a great sense of spirituality and universe identification (ST). However, male patients are more characterized by being fearful, doubtful and easily fatigued (HA), while female patients are characterized by presenting difficulties maintaining and pursuing associated reward behaviors (RD). Furthermore, male and female patients who are frequently admitted to psychiatric hospitals and male patients who attempt suicide should be evaluated regarding their personality dimensions. Future studies assessing the relationship between personality dimensions and the clinical features of schizophrenia should consider gender differences.

Highlights

Personality traits and schizophrenia present gender differences; gender has not been considered in most studies on personality and schizophrenia
The difference in the harm avoidance (HA) scores was significantly greater in the male group, whereas the difference in reward dependence (RD) was significantly greater in the female group (Figure 1 and Table 3)
Male patients who tend to be high in HA would be characterized by a greater tendency to be fearful, doubtful, fatigued and avoidant compared to healthy male subjects, whereas female patients who tend to be low in RD would be characterized by a low response to social pressure and difficulties maintaining and pursuing associated reward behaviors compared with healthy female subjects

Summary

Introduction

Personality traits and schizophrenia present gender differences; gender has not been considered in most studies on personality and schizophrenia. This study aims to identify the different personality dimensions of schizophrenia patients and healthy control subjects by gender and to explore the relationship between personality dimensions and illness severity variables by analyzing data for males and females separately. Before the description of The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5), there were many dimensional models of personality; some focused more on the characterization of normal personalities, whereas others were based on a dimensional reorganization of the diagnostic criteria for personality disorders. Most of these models could be readily integrated within a common hierarchical structure [7]. This same character profile was previously described as a schizotypal or disorganized configuration [8]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion