La théorie des cinq facteurs. Profils de personnalité selon la théorie des cinq facteurs et troubles de la personnalité chez des patients déprimés

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate in a clinical sample the relationships between the specific personality disorders (PD) and the personality traits as defined by the Big Five Model.Patients and methodsFifty-eight patients with major depressive disorder without psychotic symptoms were administered the NEO Personality Inventory Revised and the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders.ResultsAbout the two thirds of them presented at last one PD, the most frequent being obsessive-compulsive, avoidant, paranoid and borderline PDs. These four PDs exhibited a common Five Factor profile characterized by high neuroticism (domain and four facets), and low warmth, positive emotions, openness to values and trust. Three of them showed specific traits in addition: low extraversion and especially gregariousness and activity among paranoid, and low extraversion (especially gregariousness, assertiveness, and activity), openness to actions, competence, achievement striving and self-discipline but high straightforwardness among avoidant, and low extraversion (gregariousness and activity), openness to actions, and self-discipline among obsessive-compulsive patients.ConclusionsThese findings are fundamentally similar to the literature, with the exception of the relatively low conscientiousness among obsessive-compulsive patients. This discrepancy might be due to the fact that our patients were clinically depressed, while most previous research paradoxically studied the PD/FFM relationships among healthy non-consulting participants.     

Anxiety and depressive disorders and the five-factor model of personality: a higher- and lower-order personality trait investigation in a community sample

We describe in detail normal personality traits in persons with psychiatrist-ascertained anxiety and depressive disorders in a general population sample. We investigated Revised NEO Personality Inventory traits in 731 community subjects examined by psychiatrists with the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry. All of the lifetime disorders of interest (simple phobia, social phobia, agoraphobia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), and dysthymia) were associated with high neuroticism. Social phobia, agoraphobia, and dysthymia were associated with low extraversion, and OCD was associated with high openness to experience. In addition, lower-order facets of extraversion (E), openness (O), agreeableness (A), and conscientiousness (C) were associated with certain disorders (specifically, low assertiveness (E) and high openness to feelings (O) with MDD, low trust (A) with social phobia and agoraphobia, low self-discipline (C) with several of the disorders, and low competence and achievement striving (C) with social phobia). Neuroticism in particular was related to acuity of disorder. Longitudinal study is necessary to differentiate state versus pathoplastic effects.     

Temperament and character in subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Background

The aims of this study were to evaluate the differences between personality traits of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and normal controls using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and to examine the relationship of personality traits and the severity of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. We also aimed to examine the influence a particular personality trait might have on the 5 factor-analyzed symptom dimension scores of OCD.

Method

We recruited 130 patients with OCD and 185 age- and sex-matched normal controls. All subjects completed the TCI. Patients with OCD were assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the factor-analyzed symptom dimension scores from the Y-BOCS checklist.

Results

Patients with OCD had higher harm avoidance scores and lower self-directedness (SD), reward dependence (RD), and cooperativeness (C) scores than the controls. Lower SD scores and lower C scores were associated with OC symptom severity measured by the Y-BOCS after adjusting for age and depression severity. Hoarding dimension of OC symptoms was associated with lower SD scores and higher persistence (P) scores after adjusting for age, OC symptom severity, and depression severity.

Conclusions

There were significant differences in TCI subscales between patients with OCD and controls. Particular personality traits may have an influence on the severity and the dimensions of OC symptoms.     

Personality predictors of injury-related posttraumatic stress disorder

This longitudinal, cohort study examined the effect of personality traits on the emergence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a recently traumatized, civilian, mixed-gender sample with significant injuries. Burn survivors (N = 70) were administered the NEO-Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM III-R (SCID) at hospital discharge and readministered the SCID 4 and 12 months later. Overall, the sample of burn survivors scored significantly higher on neuroticism and extraversion and lower on openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness relative to a normative national sample. Furthermore, multivariate analysis of variance revealed that PTSD symptom severity groups (i.e., single symptom, multiple symptoms, subthreshold PTSD, PTSD) were differentially related to neuroticism and extraversion. Planned comparisons indicated that neuroticism was higher and extraversion was lower in those who developed PTSD compared with those who did not develop PTSD.     

Do clinical evaluations in a psychiatry clerkship favor students with positive personality characteristics?

OBJECTIVE: The authors examine associations of personality characteristics, National Board of Medical Examiners subject examination performance, and Objective Structured Clinical Examination performance with clinical evaluations of third-year medical students in a psychiatry clerkship. METHODS: Students completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, which measures personality domains of neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness and associated personality traits. At clerkship completion, students completed the National Board of Medical Examiners subject examination and a psychiatry Objective Structured Clinical Examination, and were evaluated by attending physicians (using a standardized evaluation form) regarding their clinical "knowledge and skill" and "interpersonal behavior." Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and canonical correlation. RESULTS: National Board of Medical Examiners subject examination and Objective Structured Clinical Examination scores were uncorrelated with clinical evaluations of "knowledge and skill" and "interpersonal behavior." Personality variables explained a moderate amount of variance in clinical evaluations. "Knowledge and skill" was positively associated with the domain of conscientiousness, the extraversion trait of warmth, and the conscientiousness traits of competence and achievement striving. "Interpersonal behavior" was negatively associated with the neuroticism trait of angry hostility and positively associated with the domain of agreeableness; the extraversion traits of warmth, gregariousness, and positive emotions; and the agreeableness traits of trust, altruism, compliance, and tender-mindedness. CONCLUSION: Clinical evaluations of medical students may favor personality styles that reflect positive elements of extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The present findings raise questions regarding the validity of clinical evaluation elements in clerkship performance appraisal.     

The association between personality traits and treatment outcomes in Korean patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH): a preliminary study

Objective

We investigated the association between personality traits and treatment outcomes in male Korean patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH).

Method

We evaluated the personality traits and the severity of LUTS/BPH symptoms at baseline using the Korean versions of the 44-item Big Five Inventory (BFI-K) and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), respectively. The IPSS was re-administered following a 12-week routine treatment regime, and we examined the relationship between treatment outcome and personality traits.

Results

Of the 176 patients initially screened, 101 agreed to participate in the study. Of those, 93 (92.1%) completed the 12-week trial and the BFI-K. Neuroticism was associated with a significantly worse treatment response, whereas extraversion was associated with a significantly better treatment response, and openness was associated with a high responder rate. Agreeableness, openness and conscientiousness were associated with improved week-12 IPSS total scores; however, the results were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

We found an association between treatment response and personality traits of neuroticism, extraversion and openness in patients with LUTS/BPH. However, further studies with larger samples and an improved design are needed to support our findings.     

Personality dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder: relation to clinical variables

Research on the relationship between personality factors and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has proved difficult to interpret due to conceptual problems including a lack of consensus on the model of personality employed as a framework as well as a failure to consider the clinical heterogeneity of the disorder. The aim of this study was to examine the dimensional personality profile associated with OCD and to determine whether any relationship exists between personality factors and clinical variables in a sample of 60 OCD outpatients who were administered Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Y-BOCS symptom checklist were used to assess the severity of obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms and the presence of the main OCD symptom dimensions. OCD patients showed significantly higher scores in harm avoidance and lower scores in novelty-seeking, self-directedness and cooperativeness than healthy subjects. These results remained unchanged when only pure OCD patients without comorbid psychiatric conditions were considered. Comorbid depressive symptoms and hoarding obsessions and compulsions were significantly associated with high harm avoidance scores. These results support the existence of a dimensional personality profile associated with OCD and characterized by high harm avoidance and low novelty-seeking, self-directedness and cooperativeness scores, but also emphasize the importance of considering the influence of comorbid clinical conditions or symptom subtypes in addressing the role of personality factors in OCD.     

The association between bodily anxiety symptom dimensions and the scales of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory and the Temperament and Character Inventory

The association between anxiety disorders and different measures of personality has been extensively studied to further the understanding of etiology, course, and treatment, and to possibly prevent the development of anxiety disorders. We have proposed a hierarchical model of bodily anxiety symptoms with 1 second-order severity factor and 5 first-order factors: cardio-respiratory, gastro-intestinal, autonomic, vertigo, and tension. The aim of this study was to investigate whether personality traits were differentially related to distinct symptom subdimensions or exclusively related to the general severity factor. Structural equation modeling of data on 120 patients with a primary diagnosis of social phobia and 207 patients with a primary diagnosis of panic disorder was used to examine the association between anxiety symptom dimensions and the scales of the Temperament and Character Inventory and of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. When both sets of personality measures were simultaneously modeled as predictors, the Revised NEO Personality Inventory scales, neuroticism and extraversion, remained significantly associated with the severity factor, whereas the association between the Temperament and Character Inventory dimensions, harm avoidance and novelty seeking, and the severity factor became nonsignificant. Harm avoidance was negatively associated with the vertigo first-order factor, whereas neuroticism was negatively associated with the cardio-respiratory first-order factor, indicating that personality factors may be differentially related to specific anxiety subdimensions.     

Utility of the Leyton Obsessional Inventory to distinguish OCD and OCPD

The Leyton Obsessional Inventory (LOI) is a self-report questionnaire that assesses obsessional symptoms. The ability of the LOI to distinguish between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) has not been adequately addressed. Our purpose is to identify dimensions of obsessional symptoms from the LOI and determine how well they distinguish between OCD and OCPD. The LOI was completed by 488 participants diagnosed by trained clinicians. Factor analysis was performed on responses to the interference items of the LOI. The relationship between the factors, OCD and OCPD was evaluated using logistic regression. Five factors underlying the LOI were identified: (I) obsessional ruminations and compulsions, (II) ordering and arranging, (III) organizing activities, (IV) contamination, and (V) parsimony. Factors I, III, and IV were strongly associated with OCD. Only Factor II was associated with OCPD. Factor IV was negatively associated with obsessive-compulsive personality traits. LOI factors are useful in discriminating between OCD and OCPD. Obsessional ruminations and compulsions, organizing activities, and contamination fears may indicate OCD, and ordering and arranging symptoms may indicate OCPD rather than OCD. Parsimony may indicate neither disorder, and contamination, the absence of OCPD traits compared with the other LOI factors. These findings may contribute to effective diagnosis and treatment by allowing the LOI to screen for OCD and OCPD in a population exhibiting obsessional symptoms and traits.     

Personality traits of women with a history of childhood sexual abuse

This study examined relationships between specific dimensions of childhood sexual abuse and personality traits in adulthood. Study participants were 74 hospitalized female psychiatric patients with a self-reported history of childhood sexual abuse. Characteristics of childhood sexual abuse were obtained from a structured life-events interview. Personality was measured with the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), which yields scores on neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. We hypothesized that parental abuse, intercourse, and the combination of these two childhood sexual abuse characteristics would be associated with personality traits. Supporting this hypothesis, women who were abused by a parent had lower scores on openness to experience than women who were abused by someone else. Patients whose abuse history included both parental abuse and intercourse had very low extraversion scores. Our findings suggest that there are associations between personality traits and childhood sexual abuse characteristics in psychiatric patients. Specifically, women who experienced intercourse by a parent may be more introverted and less open to experience than women whose sexual abuse history does not include parental incest.     

The effects of neuroticism, extraversion, and positive and negative life events on a one-year course of depressive symptoms in euthymic previously depressed patients versus healthy controls

We investigated a) the concurrent impact of positive and negative life events on the course of depressive symptoms in persons remitted from depression and healthy controls, b) whether the impact of life events on symptom course is moderated by the history of depression and the personality traits of neuroticism and extraversion, and c) whether life events mediate possible relationships of history of depression and personality traits with symptom course. Using data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, we examined 239 euthymic participants with a previous depressive disorder based on DSM-IV and 450 healthy controls who completed a) baseline assessments of personality dimensions (NEO Five-Factor Inventory) and depression severity (Inventory of Depressive Symptoms [IDS]) and b) 1-year follow-up assessments of depression severity and the occurrence of positive and negative life events during the follow-up period (List of Threatening Events Questionnaire). Remitted persons reported higher IDS scores at 1-year follow-up than did the controls. Extraversion and positive and negative life events independently predicted the course of depressive symptoms. The impact of life events on symptom course was not moderated by history of depression or personality traits. The effect of extraversion on symptom course was partly caused by differential engagement in positive life events.     

Obsessive-compulsive and eating disorders: comparison of clinical and personality features

Abstract   The aim of the present study was to determine whether anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) share clinical and psychopathological traits. The sample consisted of 90 female patients (30 OCD; 30 AN; 30 BN), who had been consecutively referred to the Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Bellvitge, Barcelona. All subjects met DSM-IV criteria for those pathologies. The assessment consisted of the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), Questionnaire of obsessive traits and personality by Vallejo, Eating Attitudes Test-40 (EAT-40), Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). ancova tests (adjusted for age and body mass index) and multiple linear regression models based on obsessive-compulsiveness, obsessive personality traits and perfectionism, as independent variables, were applied to determine the best predictors of eating disorder severity. On ancova several significant differences were found between obsessive-compulsive and eating-disordered patients (MOCI, P  < 0.001; EAT, P  < 0.001; EDI, P  < 0.001), whereas some obsessive personality traits were not eating disorder specific. A total of 16.7% OCD patients presented a comorbid eating disorder, whereas 3.3% eating disorders patients had an OCD diagnosis. In the eating disorder group, the presence of OC symptomatology was positively associated ( r  = 0.57, P  < 0.001) with the severity of the eating disorder. The results were maintained after adjusting for comorbidity. Although some obsessive-compulsive and eating disorder patients share common traits (e.g. some personality traits especially between OCD and AN), both disorders seem to be clinically and psychopathologically different.     

The association of personality trait on treatment outcomes in patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: An exploratory study

Objective

This study investigated the association of personality traits with the baseline clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).

Methods

Subjects were evaluated at baseline and at week 12 following routine treatment for CP/CPPS using the Korean version of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) to measure the severity of CP/CPPS; the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess depression; the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) to evaluate somatization; and the Korean version of the EuroQol Questionnaire-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), specifically the EQ-5D utility index and the EQ-5D visual analog scale (EQ-5D VAS), to assess quality of life (QoL). Personality traits including extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness were determined at baseline using the 44-item Big Five Inventory (BFI). The influence of personality traits on the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with CP/CPPS was assessed using relevant statistical analyses.

Results

Neuroticism was associated with a significantly poorer treatment response and higher levels of depression and somatization. Extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness had some influence on clinical characteristics but openness did not affect overall symptoms or the treatment response in patients with CP/CPPS.

Conclusions

We found that neuroticism may be the most important personality trait associated with treatment response and the severity of depression and somatization in patients with CP/CPPS. However, our exploratory findings should be confirmed by additional studies with adequate power and improved designs.     

Personality disorders and traits in patients with body dysmorphic disorder

Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) have been postulated to have schizoid, narcissistic, and obsessional personality traits and to be sensitive, introverted, perfectionistic, and insecure. However, data on personality traits and disorders in BDD are limited. This study assessed 148 subjects with BDD, 26 of whom participated in a fluvoxamine treatment study; 74 subjects were assessed for personality disorders with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSMIII-R Personality Disorders (SCID-II), 100 subjects completed the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and 51 subjects completed the Rathus Assertiveness Scale. Forty-two subjects (57%) had one or more personality disorders, with avoidant personality disorder (43%) being most common, followed by dependent (15%), obsessive-compulsive (14%), and paranoid (14%) personality disorders. On the NEO-FFI, the mean scores were in the very high range for neuroticism, the low range for extraversion and conscientiousness, the low-average range for agreeableness, and the average range for openness to experience. On the Rathus Assertiveness Scale, the mean score was -17.1 +/- 32.0 for women and -17.0 +/- 32.3 for men. Among fluvoxamine responders, the number of personality disorders significantly decreased between the study baseline and endpoint. These findings suggest that the rate of personality disorders in BDD is relatively high, with avoidant personality disorder being most common. The high neuroticism scores and low extraversion scores are consistent with this finding.     

The association between the suicide crisis syndrome and suicidal behaviors: The moderating role of personality traits

BackgroundPersonality traits have been associated with long-term suicide risk but their relationship with short-term risk is still unknown. Therefore, to address this gap, we explored the moderating effect of personality traits on the relationship between the Suicide Crisis Syndrome (SCS) and short-term suicidal behaviors (SB).Sampling and MethodsAdult participants (N = 459) were administered the Suicide Crisis Inventory (SCI), a validated self-report questionnaire designed to measure the intensity of the Suicidal Crisis Syndrome, the Big Five Inventory for personality traits, and the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale for SB at intake and at a 1-month follow-up. The PROCESS macro in SPSS was used to test the moderation model. Covariates hypothesized to influence the results were added: age, gender, ethnicity, years of education, and depressive symptomatology on the Beck Depression Inventory. This study was a secondary analysis drawn from a larger study on the SCS.ResultsSCI total score had a significant positive relationship with SB at the 1-month follow-up for patients with lower levels of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness, respectively. Hence, these four traits were protective against SB. There was an association between SCI and SB for patients with high levels of neuroticism at the 1-month follow-up.ConclusionsHigh levels of neuroticism served as a risk factor, whereas high levels of the other Big Five traits were protective factors against short-term SB in the context of elevated SCS symptoms. Thus, personality traits play a role in moderating the relationship between the SCS and imminent SB.     

Use of the five-factory inventory in characterizing patients with major depressive disorder

Research on personality traits has suggested an association between depression and certain personality traits, such as neuroticism and extraversion. Costa and McCrae's five-factor personality inventory (NEO) has been shown to measure personality traits in a nonclinical population, but its use has not been fully explored in clinical populations. This study aims to compare NEO results in a sample of depressed outpatients with published test norms, and determine if different levels of neuroticism and extraversion are associated with differences in certain psychosocial and clinical characteristics. Seventy-six depressed outpatients participating in antidepressant clinical trials completed this self-report questionnaire before beginning pharmacological treatment. Diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) was made using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R or DSM-IV and the severity of depression was measured with the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). The three analyses conducted were as follows: (1) NEO factor scores were compared with published normative means; (2) three groups, based on level of neuroticism, were compared on certain psychosocial and clinical characteristics; and (3) three groups, based on level of extraversion, were compared on the same psychosocial and clinical characteristics. Both the males and females obtained T score values for the Neuroticism Scale 1.5 SD above the mean, for the Extraversion Scale 1.5 SD below the mean, and for the Conscientiousness Scale 1.5 SD below the mean. No significant differences were found between subjects with different levels of neuroticism and extraversion, although a trend did exist indicating a positive relationship between neuroticism and severity of depression. Depressed outpatients experience frequent negative affects, have irrational thought processes, cope with stress poorly, have difficulty controlling impulses, prefer to be alone, and have difficulty carrying out tasks. Future studies should examine how such personality factors affect response to treatment and course of illness.     

The Interaction of Personality and Social Support on Prospective Suicidal Ideation in Men and Women With Late-Life Depression

ObjectiveEvidence suggests a cross-sectional association between personality traits and suicidal ideation in LLD. Yet, it is unclear how personality may influence suicidal ideation over time in LLD, or whether such an association would be moderated by psychosocial and biological individual differences. The present study had three aims: 1) to examine whether personality traits increase suicidal ideation in LLD over time, 2) to understand whether this relationship is influenced by subjective social support, and 3) to determine whether the potential relationship between social support, personality, and suicidal ideation is different for men and women.DesignParticipants were enrolled in the Duke University Neurocognitive Outcomes of Depression in the Elderly (NCODE), a longitudinal investigation of the predictors of poor illness course in LLD. Patients were initially enrolled in the NCODE study between December 1994 and June 2000 and were followed for an average of six years.SettingNCODE operates in a naturalistic treatment milieu.ParticipantsOne hundred twelve participants aged 60 and older with a current diagnosis of major depressive disorder.MeasurementsAnnual assessments of depression, suicidal ideation, and social support (measured with the Duke Social Support Index). Participants also completed the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) providing measures of the five major personality dimensions (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness).ResultsUnivariate logistic generalized linear mixed modeling (GLMM) analyses revealed that higher levels of depression at baseline, less subjective social support, higher neuroticism, and lower extraversion were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of suicidal ideation over time. While the relationship between these dimensions and suicidal ideation were no longer significant in multivariate analyses, there was a significant moderating effect of social support on the association between suicidal ideation and certain neuroticism and extraversion personality facets. Decreased subjective social support was associated with an increased likelihood of suicidal ideation in LLD patients with high (but not low) impulsiveness and low (but not high) gregariousness and positive emotions. Across all models, social support was beneficial to women, but not men, in decreasing the likelihood of future suicidal ideation.ConclusionChanges in social support may contribute to suicidal ideation in older depressed adults with certain personality traits. Irrespective of personality traits, changes in social support had a significant effect on the suicidal ideation of women but not men. These relationships were apparent even when controlling for depression severity, age, and history of suicide attempt.     

Shame on Me! Self-Conscious Emotions and Big Five Personality Traits and Their Relations to Anxiety Disorders Symptoms in Young,Non-Clinical Adolescents

This study explored the relations between self-conscious emotions, personality traits, and anxiety disorders symptoms in non-clinical youths. One-hundred-and-eighteen adolescents aged 12–15 years completed the brief shame and guilt questionnaire for children (BSGQ-C) and items of the youth self-report (YSR) to measure shame and guilt, the big five personality questionnaire for children, and the youth anxiety measure for DSM-5. Results for shame indicated that this self-conscious emotion—either measured by the BSGQ-C or the YSR—was uniquely and positively associated with a broad range of anxiety disorders symptoms, and correlated positively with neuroticism and negatively with extraversion. Guilt did not show significant associations with anxiety disorders symptoms once controlling for the influence of shame, and links with personality traits varied dependent on the assessment instrument that was used (BSGQ-C or YSR). Finally, when controlling for neuroticism and extraversion, shame consistently remained a significant correlate of anxiety disorders symptoms. Altogether, these results add to the growing body of evidence indicating that high levels of shame are clearly associated with anxiety pathology.     

Personality traits and symptom reduction in a group treatment for women with histories of childhood sexual abuse

The influence of personality on symptom reduction has not been examined in research on treatments for women with childhood sexual abuse histories, although personality has demonstrated predictive value in other treatment contexts. This study examined personality variables associated with symptom reduction in group therapy for hospitalized women with histories of sexual abuse. Personality was measured with the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), which yields scores on neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Among 86 women who participated in either the Women's Safety in Recovery (WSIR) group therapy or treatment as usual, 43 completed assessments of symptom reduction at discharge and 6-month follow-up. We hypothesized that extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience would be associated with treatment outcome. Our results showed that agreeableness and extraversion moderated the effect of treatment on symptom reduction. WSIR participants who were less agreeable improved more at discharge and 6-month follow-up than more agreeable WSIR participants. Moreover, women in the WSIR group who were more introverted showed greater symptom improvement at discharge than more extraverted women. Our findings suggest that more introverted, less agreeable patients with sexual abuse histories may indeed benefit from structured group treatments.     

Phobic, panic, and major depressive disorders and the five-factor model of personality

This study investigated five-factor model personality traits in anxiety (simple phobia, social phobia, agoraphobia, and panic disorder) and major depressive disorders in a population-based sample. In the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Follow-up Study, psychiatrists administered the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry to 333 adult subjects who also completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. All of the disorders except simple phobia were associated with high neuroticism. Social phobia and agoraphobia were associated with low extraversion. In addition, lower-order facets of extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were associated with certain disorders (i.e., low positive emotions in panic disorder; low trust and compliance in certain phobias; and low competence, achievement striving, and self-discipline in several disorders). This study emphasizes the utility of lower-order personality assessments and underscores the need for further research on personality/psychopathology etiologic relationships.