Psychopathological Personality Traits Research Articles

Predictors of depressive symptoms among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with respiratory problems

ABSTRACT COVID-19 patients and survivors quite often experience depressive symptoms, which can increase risk for lower immune system response and poorer recovery. Vulnerability to depressive symptoms may be elevated in those patients who have the most severe COVID-19 course of illness, that is, patients who require supplementary oxygen therapy or even intubation. The current study involved a unique sample of patients who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 and who required respiratory support (N = 34, 10 women) in which we investigated depressive symptoms as well as psychopathological personality traits (PID5) as predictors. The majority of patients (76.5%) presented some degree of depressive symptoms. Although we expected severe levels of depressive symptoms to be most prevalent, more patients showed rather moderate levels. At the same time, Negative Affectivity was most predictive of depressive symptoms. We suggest that medical care for patients with greater emotional sensitivity and vulnerability to stress be supplemented with psychological support in order to address depressive symptoms and foster recovery.

Gender-based personality traits in physically aggressive and non-aggressive antisocial behaviours.

The current study aimed to understand the role of callousness, affective dissonance, and two subtypes of sensation seeking personality traits - 1) disinhibition and 2) thrill and adventure seeking - in physically aggressive and non-aggressive antisocial behaviours (ASB) among educated youth and to explore the gender differences in them. An online survey was sent to a large sample of students at a UK university. Initially, a sample of N = 539 participants was collected but after screening out the data, N = 429 participants were included for analyses based on the sampling criteria. Callousness, disinhibition, and affective dissonance significantly predicted both antisocial behaviour subtypes. We found multidimensional nature of callousness in predicting antisocial behaviours, and an intriguing relationship between thrill and adventure seeking and affective dissonance. Interesting gender differences emerged. This study has implications for the understanding of the competitive roles of gender-based psychopathological personality traits in terms of callousness and affective dissonance and sensation seeking tendencies in physically aggressive and non-aggressive antisocial behaviours.

The High Five Model: Associations of the High Factors With Complete Mental Well-Being and Academic Adjustment in University Students.

Traditionally, models of positive personality traits have referred to moral characteristics. The High Five Model (HFM) is a factor model of individual positive traits based on an inductive psycho-lexical approach. Unlike other models, in the HFM the positive characteristics were freely determined by lay people, beyond any moral tones. The HFM comprises the following factors: erudition, peace, cheerfulness, honesty, and tenacity, known as “the high factors.” This model was shown to positively exceed the capacity of normal personality to predict emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Additionally, this model is negatively associated with non-transmissible diseases, psychopathological symptoms, and psychopathological personality traits. This study aimed to increase the validation of the HFM, by analyzing the relationships among this model and positive mental health, psychopathological symptoms, academic adjustment, and academic performance in university students. Another objective was to study the association between complete mental well-being (i.e., high well-being and low psychopathological symptomatology) and the high factors of the HFM. The sample consisted of 256 university students. Correlations were calculated, and the two-step cluster analysis was used to obtain profiles. The results showed that tenacity and erudition high factors are positively associated with academic achievement and academic adjustment. Finally, each of the high factors was positively associated with complete mental well-being. The HFM has a broad scope, as it is related not only to psychological variables (e.g., well-being or psychopathological symptomatology) but also to academic performance (e.g., adjustment and achievement) in university students.

Description of the life quality of contracted servicemen

There are presented results of a comprehensive study of the life quality of representatives of three reference groups of servicemen on contract: cadets of military high schools (n = 400), contracted servicemen of the units of power ministries and departments (n = 453), common soldiers and junior commanders (n = 357). The study was executed with the aid of the public survey, the performing of both psychological and functional load tests. This work is notable for the complexation of indices which characterize socio-hygienic, psychological and medical aspects of the life quality, life values, life satisfaction, and specific features of the military profession. Results of the study, which differ from the prior investigation by inclusion of indices characterizing the specific features of military-professional activity, lifestyle and spirituality, for the first time made it possible to assess the life quality related to health, taking into account the axiological values in life and important needs of the studied population. Changes in the life quality indices of contract servicemen were shown to be more sensitive to changes in their health than the traditional clinical-laboratory and instrumental data, which allows to recommend a wide practical use of the monitoring the life quality for professional selection and medical support of the military service, including the implementation of measures on optimization of psychological climate in military units, and the personification of the complex of therapeutic-recreational measures. The results allow us to recommend to military medical commissions of military commissariats in the call of citizens for military service under contract to carry out studies of quality and lifestyle of recruits for the early detection of groups of risk for their health. The program of in-depth medical examinations of military-contract there is recommended to include research aimed at identifying adverse social and hygienic factors of service and living conditions, psychopathological personality traits, rehabilitation and psychological climate in a military collective, execution of a personalized set of therapeutic measures.

Internet Addiction Disorder: Personality characteristics and risk of pathological overuse in adolescents

AimFew studies have investigated Internet Addiction (IA) in adolescents in relation to personality characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine whether personality differences exist between adolescents with problematic/pathological Internet use and those with normal Internet use. Our hypothesis was that certain psychopathological personality traits may predispose to the development of maladaptive Internet use. MethodsThe Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A) were administered to a sample of 224 high school students. ResultsAnalysis of IAT scores showed that 24.6% of the students had problematic Internet use and 1.6% had IA. Comparison of the MMPI-A scores between subjects with normal Internet use and those with problematic or pathological use based on the IAT score showed that some subscales, including schizophrenia and bizarre mentation, were strongly associated with problematic/pathological Internet use. Also, male sex, attending a vocational school, and unhappy childhood were found to be risk factors for IA. ConclusionsCertain psychological dimensions regarding mood and the psychotic area, as well as low self-esteem, family, school and conduct problems could represent risk factors. Taken together, our data suggest a personality profile, with problems at various levels in subjects with problematic or pathological Internet use.

Empirically derived personality subtyping for predicting clinical symptoms and treatment response in bulimia nervosa.

Evidence suggests that eating disorder subtypes reflecting under-controlled, over-controlled, and low psychopathology personality traits constitute reliable phenotypes that differentiate treatment response. This study is the first to use statistical analyses to identify these subtypes within treatment-seeking individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN) and to use these statistically derived clusters to predict clinical outcomes. Using variables from the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Basic Questionnaire, K-means cluster analyses identified under-controlled, over-controlled, and low psychopathology subtypes within BN patients (n = 80) enrolled in a treatment trial. Generalized linear models examined the impact of personality subtypes on Eating Disorder Examination global score, binge eating frequency, and purging frequency cross-sectionally at baseline and longitudinally at end of treatment (EOT) and follow-up. In the longitudinal models, secondary analyses were conducted to examine personality subtype as a potential moderator of response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E) or Integrative Cognitive-Affective Therapy for BN (ICAT-BN). There were no baseline clinical differences between groups. In the longitudinal models, personality subtype predicted binge eating (p = 0.03) and purging (p = 0.01) frequency at EOT and binge eating frequency at follow-up (p = 0.045). The over-controlled group demonstrated the best outcomes on these variables. In secondary analyses, there was a treatment by subtype interaction for purging at follow-up (p = 0.04), which indicated a superiority of CBT-E over ICAT-BN for reducing purging among the over-controlled group. Empirically derived personality subtyping appears to be a valid classification system with potential to guide eating disorder treatment decisions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:506-514).

EPA-0509 - Functional and psychopathological long term outcomes in three cases of substance-related failed suicide attempts

Substance use, along with mental health problems, is often associated with fatal and non fatal suicide attempts. The type of drug (Opiates, cocaine and sedatives), the severity of use (mix of substance, doses…) and the co- occurrence of alcohol and drug consumption, influence the risk of suicide. Severe brain damage may arise as consequence of suicide attempts and the occurrence of multi substance abuse may worsen outcome. The aim of the present paper is to explore the clinical picture of three patients with drug addiction (2 males and 1 female) who survived a substance related suicide attempt. Due to the resulting anoxia, they suffered a brain injury for which they were admitted in a rehabilitative centre. The time gap between the injury and the admission was very variable and allowed us to explore also chronic conditions. We examined neuropsychological functioning with MMSE and LCF (Level of Cognitive Functioning) and functional impairment with FIM (Functional Independence Measure) at the time of admission and at follow up. We described also personality and psychological traits deriving from MMPI and Millon Multiaxial Clinical Inventory. Reported data show that brain damage after anoxia in suicide attempts by substances intoxication can result in severe motor and cognitive impairement. In a long term follow up, the evolution of clinical pictures is very different and in the chronic phase psychopathological personality traits still can be observed. In all of them, the global outcome is severe and non-reversible disability, needing continuous neuropsychopharmacological treatment and with extremely impaired quality of life.

Dronabinol in severe, enduring anorexia nervosa: A randomized controlled trial

The evidence for pharmacological treatment of severe, longstanding anorexia nervosa (AN) is sparse and the few controlled pharmacologic studies have focused on a narrow range of drugs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of treatment with a synthetic cannabinoid agonist on body weight and eating disorder-related psychopathological personality traits in women with severe, enduring AN. This add-on, prospective, randomized, double blind, controlled crossover study was conducted between 2008 and 2011 at a specialized care center for eating disorders. Twenty-five women over 18 years with AN of at least 5 years duration were randomized to treatment with either dronabinol-placebo or placebo-dronabinol. In addition to the standardized baseline therapeutic regime, the participants received dronabinol, 2.5 mg twice daily for 4 weeks and matching placebo for 4 weeks, separated by a 4-week wash-out period. Primary outcome was the mean change in body weight. Secondary outcome was score changes on the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2). Data were analyzed for the 24 patients who completed the trial. During dronabinol treatment, participants gained 0.73 kg (t = 2.86, df = 22, p < 0.01) above placebo without significant psychotropic adverse events. Dronabinol significantly predicted weight gain in a multiple linear regression including EDI-2 body dissatisfaction score and leptin. EDI-2 subscale scores showed no significant changes over time. Dronabinol therapy was well tolerated. During four weeks of exposure it induced a small but significant weight gain in the absence of severe adverse events.

Síndromes clínicos, personalidad y procesos de recuperación del estrés: estudio en muestras ocupacionales

Introduction. Stress manifests itself with different intensity and effects on different people. In many cases it leads to serious health problems or may worsen the prognosis of certain diseases. Stress has been linked to many conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and infectious diseases. The workplace can be a source of chronic stress. Many variables have been described that allegedly modulate stress response. Aim. To rank the relationship between some of these variables. A model is presented in this study whereby psychopathological personality traits should be related to one of those modulating variables and thus, with the subject's ability to recover from stress. Design. A crosssectional descriptive design was used. Participants. The sample consisted of 108 volunteers: 15

The Psychology of Women's Partner Violence: Characteristics and Cautions

This article provides an overview of research on women's partner violence as well as the literature that investigates the developmental pathway to women's aggressive behavior. While women are known to commit partner violence toward their male partners, the prevalence and motivations for such behavior is still debated. Evidence that finds gender symmetry is reviewed and alternative literature discussed. Research challenging the conceptualization of women's partner violence as self-defensive is explored. The literature on the veracity of women partner violence offenders' explanations for their aggression is contrasted with the tendency within the literature to treat women's accounts as unproblematic. Alternative explanations for women's aggression are discussed with a focus on personality traits of psychopathology. Implications for interventions are also discussed.

Impulsivity, aggressiveness, and DSM-IV personality disorders

The aim of this study is to assess whether impulsive and aggressive traits can be placed on a continuum with DSM-IV Cluster B Personality Disorders (PDs) and to determine if different aspects of these personality traits are specifically associated with individual Cluster B PDs. The study group comprised 461 outpatients admitted consecutively to a clinic that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of PDs. Principal component analyses clearly suggested a five-factor structure of both normal and psychopathological personality traits. Importantly, measures of impulsivity, aggressiveness and novelty seeking formed a part of the principal component that clustered all Cluster B PDs. Regression analyses indicated that impulsive traits were selectively associated with Borderline PD whereas different aspects of aggressiveness were useful in discriminating Narcissistic PD from Antisocial PD. Sensation seeking traits formed a part of Histrionic PD. These results indicate that impulsive/aggressive traits may be useful in explaining both why Cluster B PDs tend to covary, and why they frequently differ in clinical pictures and courses.

Relationship between Stress Coping and Personality in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Background: Stress coping is defined as a behavioral or cognitive response of an individual to uncomfortable or difficult situations. It has been suggested that coping, like personality, is related to the pathology and course of mental disorders. Accordingly, we here used a clinical sample to investigate the relationships between coping strategies and personality traits. Methods: Subjects were 60 outpatients who were in remission from major depressive disorder and who completed the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) and the Munich Personality Test (MPT). Results: Task-oriented coping showed a positive correlation with extraversion and frustration tolerance. Emotion-oriented coping was closely associated with neuroticism, esoteric tendencies and isolation tendency. Avoidance-oriented coping was related to extraversion. Principal component analysis indicated three corresponding factors between coping and personality; one was related to psychopathology (loading from the neuroticism, esoteric tendencies and isolation tendency scales of the MPT, and from the emotion-oriented coping scale of the CISS), a second was a social-adaptive ability component (loading from the frustration tolerance and extraversion scales of the MPT, and from the task-oriented coping and avoidance-oriented coping scales of the CISS), and a third was a passive-avoidance coping component (loaded from the emotion-oriented coping and avoidance-oriented coping scales of the CISS only). Conclusion: Some personality traits such as extraversion and frustration tolerance are significantly related to task-oriented coping, and psychopathological personality traits such as neuroticism are associated with emotional-oriented coping in major depressive disorder.

Epidemiology and psychological factors of the irritable bowel syndrome

The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has been labelled a 'psychosomatic' disorder for more than 50 years, although continuous research has neither proved nor disproved or condoned nor condemned involvement of psychosocial factors in disease onset and course. Psychopathological personality traits and illness behaviour have been found frequently in patients with IBS, who have been shown to experience more life stress than healthy subjects; stress responses as well as pain perception have been found to be abnormal, and psychotherapy has been found to be more effective than medical treatment alone. While these studies indisputably show that psychosocial factors are involved in IBS, they also support the notion that what may be true in one patient may not be so in another, and that IBS — from a behavioral point of view — may not represent a unique psychosomatic entity.