Avoidant Traits Research Articles

Body-Related Attitudes, Personality, and Identity in Female Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa or Other Mental Disorders.

The psychological integration of body-related attitudes (BodyRA) is a critical developmental task in adolescence. Adolescents must adapt to their changing body image and body satisfaction. For young people, BodyRA (body dissatisfaction, bulimia, and drive for thinness) are connected to insecurities, which can disturb identity integration and personality development. Our goal was to evaluate the importance of BodyRA also for other mental disorders other than anorexia nervosa (AN), and the association between BodyRA with temperament and personality traits and identity diffusion. Data for the period of 2012 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed from a convenience sample of patients in a child and adolescent psychiatric hospital (n = 114). The patients were 13 to 17 years of age and had a BMI of 11.9–36.1 kg/m2. As expected, BodyRA were found to be more pronounced in AN, as well as in borderline personality disorder (BPD), depression (DD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). BodyRA correlated significantly with internalizing problems in patients with DD (r = 0.428–0.565, p < 0.01) and BPD (r = 0.680, p < 0.01) as well as with BMI (r = 0.404, p < 0.01) in patients with DD. Moreover, we detected significant correlations with impaired identity development in patients with DD (r = 0.482–0.565, p < 0.01) and BPD (r = 0.681–0.703, p < 0.01). BodyRA also correlated significantly with the personality traits of harm avoidance (r = 0.377–0.541, p < 0.01) and self-directedness (r = −0.537–−0.635, p < 0.01) in DD. These personality traits and bulimia were used as predictors for identity diffusion in the investigated disorders of this study. We conclude that BodyRA, harm avoidance and self-directedness are associated with identity development in adolescent females with mental disorders.

Know Your Movements: Poorer Proprioceptive Accuracy is Associated With Overprotective Avoidance Behavior

Pain-related avoidance of movements that are actually safe (ie, overprotective behavior) plays a key role in chronic pain disability. Avoidance is reinforced through operant learning: after learning that a certain movement elicits pain, movements that prevent pain are more likely to be performed. Proprioceptive accuracy importantly contributes to motor learning and memory. Interestingly, reduced accuracy has been documented in various chronic pain conditions, prompting the question whether this relates to avoidance becoming excessive. Using robotic arm-reaching movements, we tested the hypothesis that poor proprioceptive accuracy is associated with excessive pain-related avoidance in pain-free participants. Participants first performed a task to assess proprioceptive accuracy, followed by an operant avoidance training during which a pain stimulus was presented when they performed one movement trajectory, but not when they performed another trajectory. During a test phase, movements were no longer restricted to 2 trajectories, but participants were instructed to avoid pain. Unbeknownst to the participants, the pain stimulus was never presented during this phase. Results supported our hypothesis. Furthermore, exploratory analyses indicated a reduction in proprioceptive accuracy after avoidance learning, which was associated with excessive avoidance and higher trait fear of pain. PerspectiveThis study is the first to show that poorer proprioceptive accuracy is associated with excessive pain-related avoidance. This finding is especially relevant for chronic pain conditions, as reduced accuracy has been documented in these populations, and points toward the need for research on training accuracy to tackle excessive avoidance.

Leaf Pigments, Surface Wax and Spectral Vegetation Indices for Heat Stress Resistance in Pea

Pea is a grain legume crop commonly grown in semi-arid temperate regions. Pea is susceptible to heat stress that affects development and reduces yield. Leaf pigments and surface wax in a crop canopy make the primary interaction with the environment and can impact plant response to environmental stress. Vegetation indices can be used to indirectly assess canopy performance in regard to pigment, biomass, and water content to indicate overall plant stress. Our objectives were to investigate the contribution of leaf pigments and surface wax to heat avoidance in pea canopies, and their associations with spectral vegetation indices. Canopies represented by 24 pea cultivars varying in leaf traits were tested in field trials across six environments with three stress levels in western Canada. Compared with the control non-stress environments, heat stress reduced leaf lamina and petiole chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid concentrations by 18–35%, and increased leaf lamina chlorophyll a/b ratio, anthocyanin and wax concentrations by 24–28%. Generally, greater leaf pigment and wax concentrations were associated with cooler canopy temperature and high heat tolerance index (HTI) values. Upright cultivars had higher HTI values, whereas the lowest HTI was associated with normal leafed vining cultivars. Vegetation indices, including photochemical reflectance index (PRI), green normalized vegetation index (GNDVI), normalized pigment chlorophyll ratio index (NPCI), and water band index (WBI), had strong correlations with HTI and with heat avoidance traits. This study highlights the contribution of pigments and wax as heat avoidance traits in crop canopies, and the potential application of spectral measurements for selecting genotypes with more heat resistant vegetation.

Association of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy with cluster a, borderline, and avoidant personality disorders and traits.

The present study examined the associations of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy dimensions assessed by the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale with 5 interview-rated personality disorder diagnoses and traits in 151 young adults. As hypothesized, all 3 schizotypy dimensions were associated with impaired functioning. Positive schizotypy was associated with schizotypal and borderline personality traits; negative schizotypy was associated with schizotypal, schizoid, paranoid, and avoidant personality traits; and disorganized schizotypy was associated with paranoid, borderline, and avoidant personality disorder traits. Negative schizotypy predicted broad diagnoses of Cluster A personality disorders. Both negative and disorganized schizotypy predicted the broad diagnosis of any of the 5 personality disorders. The study further examined the association of the schizotypy dimensions with the individual personality disorder criteria to better understand the overall associations. Given the common origins and high comorbidity, we examined whether the schizotypy dimensions explained the association of borderline and schizotypal personality disorder traits. Positive and disorganized schizotypy fully mediated the association between borderline and schizotypal traits. In summary, the study replicated and extended previous findings that the schizotypy dimensions are uniquely associated with personality disorders and traits, as well as impaired functioning, in young adults. The study also provided additional support for the construct validity of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale and for the use of psychometric assessment of schizotypy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Personality, and Crime: Distinct Associations among a High-Risk Sample of Institutionalized Youth.

Despite high rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and personality-related disturbances among delinquent juveniles, associations among ACEs, youth personality, and juvenile crime involvement are still unclear. High-risk samples of institutionalized youth are in specific need of a comprehensive assessment of ACEs and personality features in order to broaden the current knowledge on the occurrence and persistence of juvenile crime and to derive implications for prevention and intervention. We examined a heterogeneous high-risk sample of 342 adolescents (35.1% females, 64.9% males) aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 15.74, SD = 1.61 years) living in child-welfare or juvenile justice institutions regarding cumulative ACEs, psychopathic traits, temperament, and clinical personality disorder ratings, and criminal involvement before and up to 10 years after assessment. We found considerable rates of ACEs, although cumulative ACEs did not predict future crime. Latent Profile Analysis based on dimensional measures of psychopathy, temperament, and personality disorders derived six distinct personality profiles, which were differently related to ACEs, personality disturbances, clinical psychopathology, and future delinquency. A socially difficult personality profile was associated with increased risk of future crime, whereas avoidant personality traits appeared protective. Findings indicate that the role of ACEs in the prediction of juvenile delinquency is still not sufficiently clear and that relying on single personality traits alone is insufficient in the explanation of juvenile crime.

Personality Traits Induce Different Brain Patterns When Processing Social and Valence Information.

This paper shows the brain correlates of Cloninger’s personality model during the presentation of social scenarios under positive or negative valence situations. Social scenarios were constructed when participants played the Dictator game with two confederates that had two opposites roles as the cooperator (Coop) and non-cooperator (NoCoop). Later the same day during a fMRI scanning session, participants read negative (Neg) and positive (Pos) situations that happened to confederates in the past. Participants were asked to think “how do you think those people felt during that situation?” A dissimilarity matrix between stimuli were obtained from fMRI results. Results shown that Harm Avoidance trait people make use of right middle frontal gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus to discriminate between Coop and NoCoop. Cooperation as a trait makes use of the right superior temporal gyrus and the right precuneus to discriminate between Coop and NoCoop in positive social scenarios. Finally, Self-directedness trait people make use of the right inferior parietal lobe to discriminate between Coop and NoCoop in negative social scenarios and the right precuneus to discriminate between Coop and Strangers. An intuitive link between discrimination findings and behavioral patterns of those personality traits is proposed.

PHYSIOLOGICAL, MORPHOLOGICAL &amp; BIOCHEMICAL RESPONSE OF WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM) AGAINST HEAT &amp; DROUGHT STRESS AND THE TOLERANCE MECHANISM – A REVIEW

Wheat is a mainstay of Nepalese cuisine, and it is the third most important cereal crop cultivated throughout the nation all through the winter months. The impact of abiotic stress on wheat, such as heat and drought, is discussed in this review article. Drought and heat stress influence biochemical, physiological, and morphological processes in plants, causing a significant reduction in yield and yield attributing characteristics. Drought at CRI reduces yield by 60%, while Heat stress causes about 16 yield loss depending on the severity of the environment. Understanding the physiological and biochemical responses of crops to any unfavorable circumstance is essential for developing mechanisms and techniques for plant tolerance. Drought tolerance is managed by drought escape, drought avoidance and drought traits. Heat stress is also endured by the plant’s anti-oxidative defense mechanism and the synthesis of heat shock proteins (HSPs).

The Mediating Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas in the Relationship between Temperament and Depressive Symptoms.

Personality traits and early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) play an active role in the emergence, maintenance, and treatment of depressive mood. Studies draw attention to the close relationship between temperament and character traits, EMSs, and depression. The first aim of this study is to examine the relationships between temperament, character traits, and EMSs. Secondly, we were interested to observe whether or not these variables explained depressive symptoms. Lastly, based on the previous findings and the idea that the development of EMSs is affected by temperament traits, the mediating role of EMSs in the relationship between harm avoidance and depressive symptoms was investigated. Personal Information Form, Temperament and Character Inventory, Young Schema Questionnaire Short Form-3, and Beck Depression Inventory were applied to 205 undergraduate students (68% women). Results showed the significant correlations among harm avoidance temperament trait, self-directedness, cooperativeness character traits, and with most of the EMSs. The disconnection schema domain, harm avoidance, and self-directedness personality traits predicted depressive symptoms. Moreover, controlling the gender effect, disconnection and unrelenting standards mediated the relationship between harm avoidance and depressive symptoms. The findings supported the idea suggested by the schema theory that the temperament traits affect EMSs. We believe that these findings can support studies towards depression-prevention as well as the treatment of depressive individuals. Even without interfering with temperament characteristics of individuals, depressive symptoms might be reduced by working only with some of the EMSs.

Characteristic Personality Traits of Multiple Sclerosis Patients-An Unicentric Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

Background and objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients tend to present peculiar personality traits that highly impact their quality of life. Our study aimed to determine which personality traits are more common in MS patients compared to a sex- and age-matched control group. Methods and materials: Patients with relapsing–remitting MS along with a sex- and age-matched control group were included. All subjects completed the DECAS Personality Inventory and an additional form including demographic characteristics. Data (including descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate analysis) were analyzed using SPSS. Results: 122 subjects were included, out of which 61 were in the patient group, mostly females (71.31%) with a mean age of 42.06 ± 10.46 years. Mean duration of disease was 10.18 ± 5.53 years and mean EDSS score was 2.09; 36% of patients were treated with Interferon-beta 1a. Subjects in the patient group presented significantly lower scores for extraversion (p = 0.036), specifically those with higher EDSS score, even after adjusting for possible confounders (age, sex, marital status, early retirement, alcohol, and tobacco consumption). Additionally, regarding orientation in life, MS patients were more often philosophers (p = 0.001), especially young males, whereas the dominant emotional feeling was less common, the actor profile (p = 0.022). Regarding task involvement, MS patients were often passive and compassionate concerning other people. Higher EDSS score also correlated with avoidant (p = 0.006) and melancholic (p = 0.043) personality traits. Subjects with higher education associated more often pragmatic, experimenter, popular, and optimist traits, whereas the elderly had actor, authoritarian, and experimenter profiles. Conclusions: Some MS patients may have reduced levels of extraversion and specific personality traits compared to age- and sex-matched subjects. Determining the exact personality profile might help the neurologist to establish a better therapeutic alliance and to apply specific interventions.

Neuroanatomical basis of harm avoidance personality traits in major depressive disorder

: Behavioral inhibition, referred to as the harm avoidance (HA) trait, has been deemed a vulnerability factor for major depressive disorder (MDD). Previous studies tried to find brain structural biomarkers of HA by assessing the relationship between interindividual variability in this trait and brain morphology. However, only healthy participants were recruited for these studies, and the results were heterogeneous. : To clarify the neural link between HA and MDD, we obtained magnetic resonance imaging data from the brains of 331 healthy people and 89 patients with MDD. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses were conducted to identify brain regions in which the gray matter volume was correlated with the HA score across participants and was simultaneously reduced in MDD patients. : We found that the ventral part of the medial preferential cortex (vMPFC) fulfilled these criteria. : The majority of the patients in this study were medicated with antidepressants. : The present finding suggests that reduced gray matter volume in this region is the neuropathology of high HA observed among MDD patients and might be the underlying reason why people with high HA are vulnerable to developing depression. Our findings may contribute to a deeper understanding of the neuropathology of MDD and provide insight into the brain regions of interest for predicting the development of the illness in the future. • The harm avoidance (HA) trait is a vulnerability factor for major depressive disorder. • HA negatively correlates with gray matter volume in the ventromedial prefrontal area. • Gray matter in this region was reduced in depressed patients. • Deficits in this region might be the neural link between HA and depression.

Distinct contributions of drought avoidance and drought tolerance to yield improvement in dryland wheat cropping

AbstractCrop avoidance and tolerance strategies are critical adaptive mechanisms of drought stress and play different roles in grain yield. However, little is known about the contribution of these two mechanisms to grain yield in old and modern wheat genotypes. Here, pot and field experiments were carried out to characterize and compare the mechanisms of drought avoidance and drought tolerance, and determine their differential contributions to the yield in six wheat genotypes. The pot experiment results demonstrated that the old genotypes acquired a better avoidance ability to adapt to drought stress. These avoidance abilities include larger root systems, lower leaf areas, low stomatal conductance, pale green leaf colour, higher degrees of leaf rolling and leaf waxiness. The modern genotypes displayed stronger drought tolerance advantages, such as high osmotic adjustment and antioxidant enzyme activity, and a smaller root system. Our field experiment further showed that under severe water‐deficit conditions, the old genotypes with stronger drought avoidance traits had higher yields and water use efficiency (WUEg), whereas the modern genotypes with strong drought tolerance characteristics produced higher yields and had higher WUEg under mild and intermediate water deficits. The results indicate that the relative contribution of drought tolerance and drought avoidance to grain yield depends to a large extent on the degree of drought stress and genotypes. Understanding the differential plant response depending on genotype and drought stress may help plant breeders develop drought‐resistant varieties suitable for drought‐prone environments under anticipated climate change scenarios.

Dynamic of recovery growth of intercropped soybean after maize harvest in maize–soybean relay strip intercropping system

AbstractRecovery growth is common in relay intercropping systems and is a useful practice to increase total productivity of these systems. A field experiment was conducted during 2014–2016 to investigate the phenotypic and physiological traits related to light interception and utilization changes and cultivars difference of soybean during the recovery growth period. Two cropping patterns (maize–soybean relay strip intercropping (RSI), analogous soybean monoculture (CK)) and two soybean cultivars (shade‐tolerant Nandou12 and shade non‐tolerant Jiuyuehuang) were evaluated. During the co‐growth period, the growth of both two soybean cultivars was suppressed and showed a series of shade avoidance traits. After maize harvest, the LAI and leaflet number of intercropped soybean exhibited rapid growth, the LAI of Nandou12 (3.09) and Jiuyuehuang (1.32) recovered to 79% and 43% of corresponding CK level, respectively. Subsequently, final biomass of Nandou12 (3972.7 kg ha−1) and Jiuyuehuang (2263.3 kg ha−1) recovered 85.7% and 52% of corresponding CK level, respectively. Leaf blade thickness of Nandou12 recovered to the corresponding CK level, while Jiuyuehuang was not. Pn recovered to 84.5% and 82.8% of sole Pn at 80 days after soybean sowing in 2015 and to 72% and 91.2% at 66 days after soybean sowing in 2016 for Nandou12 and Jiuyuehuang, respectively. The above recovery process promoted the recovery of pod formation and grain yield. The yield of Nandou12 (1159.5 kg ha−1) has no significant difference between the CK level (1325.5 kg ha−1) but significantly higher than that of Jiuyuehuang (566.8 kg ha−1). Taken together, some recovery growth did occur in Jiuyuehuang, but it did not completely compensate for the growth reduction that occurred during the co‐growth period. Shade‐tolerant soybean cultivar has more stronger recovery growth ability in LAI, leaflet number, leaf thickness, and photosynthesis after maize harvest, which promoted the recovery growth of aboveground biomass and grain yield.

Salinity Affects Freshwater Invertebrate Traits and Litter Decomposition

We evaluated the effect of seawater intrusion in coastal ecosystems on the freshwater invertebrate community and on leaf litter decomposition under realistic scenarios in six outdoor freshwater mesocosms containing fauna and flora, to which increasing volumes of seawater were added. The resulting salinity values were 0.28 (control, freshwater only), 2.0, 3.3, 5.5, 9.3, and 15.3 mS cm−1. The effect of salinity was assessed for 65 days after seawater intrusion, by computing the deviation of values in each treatment in relation to the control. Our results show that seawater intrusion into freshwaters will affect the invertebrate communities and organic matter decomposition, with salinities of up to 3.3–5.5 mS cm−1 having opposite effects to salinities of more than 9.3 mS cm−1. There was a net negative effect of the two highest salinities on mass loss and richness of the invertebrates associated with the decomposing leaves. Regarding the invertebrate communities of the mesocosms, there was a net negative effect of the intermediate salinity levels on abundance and richness. Invertebrate life cycle traits conferring resilience and resistance tended to increase with low and decrease with high salinity values, while avoidance traits showed an opposite trend, and these responses were more pronounced on the later stage community. These wave-like responses of the invertebrate species traits to increasing salinity suggest that the life-history and physiological adaptations most suitable to cope with osmotic stress will differ between low and high salinity levels.

Personality Traits Modulate the Effect of tDCS on Reading Speed of Social Sentences.

In this case, 62 university students participated in the study, in which a between-subjects design was adopted. Participants were also given the behavioral approach system (BAS) and behavioral inhibition system (BIS) scales. Participants had to read a list of 60 sentences with interpersonal and neutral content: 20 approach (“Pedro accepted Rosa in Whatsapp”), 20 avoidance (“Pedro Blocked Rosa in Whatsapp”) and 20 neutral (“Marta thought about the causes of the problem”). After reading them, they were subjected to 20 min of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in one of the two conditions: anodal (31) or sham (31). After tDCS, they had to read other list of 60 sentences matched in approach, avoidance and neutral contents with the former list. We found significant improvement in reading speed after anodal stimulation for social and neutral sentences. Regarding affective traits, we found that anodal stimulation benefitted reading speed in low-BIS and low-BAS participants and had no effect in either high BAS or high BIS participants. In addition, tDCS improvement in reading speed was significantly lower in avoidance sentences in low-BIS (avoidance) participants. We discuss these results at the light of previous research and highlight the importance of approach and avoidance traits as moderators of tDCS effects.

Association mapping of drought tolerance and agronomic traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces

BackgroundAsian cultivars were predominantly represented in global rice panel selected for sequencing and to identify novel alleles for drought tolerance. Diverse genetic resources adapted to Indian subcontinent were not represented much in spite harboring useful alleles that could improve agronomic traits, stress resilience and productivity. These rice accessions are valuable genetic resource in developing rice varieties suited to different rice ecosystem that experiences varying drought stress level, and at different crop stages. A core collection of rice germplasm adapted to Southwestern Indian peninsular genotyped using SSR markers and characterized by contrasting water regimes to associate genomic regions for physiological, root traits and yield related traits. Genotyping-By-Sequencing of selected accessions within the diverse panel revealed haplotype variation in genic content within genomic regions mapped for physiological, morphological and root traits.ResultsDiverse rice panel (99 accessions) were evaluated in field and measurements on plant physiological, root traits and yield related traits were made over five different seasons experiencing varying drought stress intensity at different crop stages. Traits like chlorophyll stability index, leaf rolling, days to 50% flowering, chlorophyll content, root volume and root biomass were identified as best predictors of grain yield under stress. Association mapping revealed genetic variation among accessions and revealed 14 genomic targets associated with different physiological, root and plant production traits. Certain accessions were found to have beneficial allele to improve traits, plant height, root length and spikelet fertility, that contribute to the grain yield under stress. Genomic characterization of eleven accessions revealed haplotype variation within key genomic targets on chromosomes 1, 4, 6 and 11 for potential use as molecular markers to combine drought avoidance and tolerance traits. Genes mined within the genomic QTL intervals identified were prioritized based on tissue specific expression level in publicly available rice transcriptome data.ConclusionThe genetic and genomic resources identified will enable combining traits with agronomic value to optimize yield under stress and hasten trait introgression into elite cultivars. Alleles associated with plant height, specific leaf area, root length from PTB8 and spikelet fertility and grain weight from PTB26 can be harnessed in future rice breeding program.

Response of Bromus valdivianus (Pasture Brome) Growth and Physiology to Defoliation Frequency Based on Leaf Stage Development

The increase in drought events due to climate change have enhanced the relevance of species with greater tolerance or avoidance traits to water restriction periods, such as Bromus valdivianus Phil. (B. valdivianus). In southern Chile, B. valdivianus and Lolium perenne L. (L. perenne) coexist; however, the pasture defoliation criterion is based on the physiological growth and development of L. perenne. It is hypothesised that B. valdivianus needs a lower defoliation frequency than L. perenne to enhance its regrowth and energy reserves. Defoliation frequencies tested were based on B. valdivianus leaf stage 2 (LS-2), leaf stage 3 (LS-3), leaf stage 4 (LS-4) and leaf stage 5 (LS-5). The leaf stage development of Lolium perenne was monitored and contrasted with that of B. valdivianus. The study was conducted in a glasshouse and used a randomised complete block design. For Bromus valdivianus, the lamina length, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, tiller number per plant, leaf area, leaf weights, root growth rate, water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) and starch were evaluated. Bromus valdivianus maintained six live leaves with three leaves growing simultaneously. When an individual tiller started developing its seventh leaf, senescence began for the second leaf (the first relevant leaf for photosynthesis). Plant herbage mass, the root growth rate and tiller growth were maximised at LS-4 onwards. The highest leaf elongation rate, evaluated through the slope of the lamina elongation curve of a fully expanded leaf, was verified at LS-4. The water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) increased at LS-5; however, no statistical differences were found in LS-4. The LS-3 and LS-2 treatments showed a detrimental effect on WSCs and regrowth. The leaf photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance diminished while the leaf age increased. In conclusion, B. valdivianus is a ‘six-leaf’ species with leaf senescence beginning at LS-4.25. Defoliation at LS-4 and LS-5 was optimum for plant regrowth, maximising the aboveground plant parameters and total WSC accumulation. The LS-4 for B. valdivianus was equivalent to LS-3.5 for L. perenne. No differences related to tiller population in B. valdivianus were found in the different defoliation frequencies.

Understanding the Influence of Personality Traits on Risk of Suicidal Behaviour in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Risk of suicidal behaviour (SB) in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) is a major concern, particularly in early stages of the illness, when suicide accounts for a high number of premature deaths. Although some risk factors for SB in SSD are well understood, the extent to which personality traits may affect this risk remains unclear, which may have implications for prevention. We conducted a systematic review of previous studies indexed in MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Embase examining the relationship between personality traits and SB in samples of patients with SSD. Seven studies fulfilled predetermined selection criteria. Harm avoidance, passive-dependent, schizoid and schizotypal personality traits increased the risk of SB, while self-directedness, cooperativeness, excluding persistence and self-transcendence acted as protective factors. Although only seven studies were retrieved from three major databases after applying predetermined selection criteria, we found some evidence to support that personality issues may contribute to SB in patients with SSD. Personality traits may therefore become part of routine suicide risk assessment and interventions targeting these personality-related factors may contribute to prevention of SB in SSD.

Comparing the Self-Reported Personality Disorder Traits and Childhood Traumatic Experiences Between Patients With Schizophrenia Vs. Major Depressive Disorder.

Introduction: Personality disorder (PD) and childhood traumatic experience (CTE) are well- recognized risk factors for the development of schizophrenia (SZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD). The relationship between CTE and PD is extremely close, and both conditions can affect subsequent psychiatric disorders. Little is known about the differences of these factors in patients with SZ and those with MDD.Materials and Methods: A total of 1,026 outpatients participated in the study, including 533 (51.9%) with SZ and 493 (48.1%) with MDD who were sequentially sampled. The PD traits were assessed using the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire Fourth Edition Plus (PDQ-4+). The Child Trauma Questionnaire Short Form (CTQ-SF) was used to assess childhood adversities. The scores and associations of PDQ-4+ and CTQ-SF between patients with SZ and those with MDD were compared.Results: The MDD group exhibited more PD traits and more childhood emotional neglect than the SZ group. In patients with MDD, the correlation between PD traits and CTE was significantly higher than that in patients with SZ. Patients with SZ vs. those with MDD showed different PD traits and CTE. The schizotypal and antisocial PD traits, as well as sexual abuse and physical neglect CTE, were significantly related to SZ. In contrast, the borderline, narcissistic and avoidant PD traits, and emotional abuse/neglect CTE were significantly associated with MDD.Discussion: These findings indicated a robust relationship between CTE and PD traits. Moreover, patients with SZ or MDD, have different interactive patterns. Both CTE and PD traits have the potential to be premorbid risk factors that could be targeted for preventative interventions.

Anorexia: the great taboo

Anorexia: the great taboo

Food approach and avoidance appetitive traits in university students: A latent profile analysis

Eating behaviors are influenced by many factors including appetitive traits. Few studies have utilized latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine food approach and food avoidance appetitive traits. This study utilized LPA to define cluster profile groups based on appetitive traits in undergraduate and graduate/professional students at a large University in the southwest United States. Students completed a cross-sectional online survey in fall 2020 assessing demographic information, appetitive traits via the Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire (AEBQ), and anxiety via the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7; higher scores indicate more severe anxiety symptoms). Appetitive traits were combined into eight scales (four food approach and four food avoidance traits). Latent profile analyses were conducted to identify homogenous subgroups of participants based on AEBQ scale scores. The final sample included 1243 students (mean age = 26.5 years, 73% female, 59% White, 57% undergraduates). LPA revealed four cluster profile groups: Cluster 1 (moderate eaters: lower than mean scores for food approach and avoidance traits), Cluster 2 (food seekers and avoiders: higher than mean scores for food approach and avoidance traits), Cluster 3 (food seekers: higher than mean scores for food approach traits), and Cluster 4 (food avoiders: higher than mean scores for food avoidance traits). Distribution of age, gender, race/ethnicity, and student status differed significantly between clusters. GAD-7 score was highest in Cluster 2 (food seekers and avoiders) and lowest in Cluster 1 (moderate eaters). Among the four LPA-defined cluster profile groups, students who endorsed both food approach and avoidance traits reported more severe anxiety symptoms compared to moderate eaters, food seekers, and food avoiders. It is useful to consider clusters of appetitive traits instead of individual appetitive traits when examining associations with physical and mental health.