Utility of the NEO-FFI in multi-dimensional assessment of orofacial pain conditions

The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of using the NEO-FFI personality assessment as part of multi-dimensional psychological assessment in orofacial pain patients during the initial diagnostic visit. All patients completed an orofacial pain questionnaire and a battery of psychological questionnaires that cover a wide range of symptoms and behaviors important to developing a comprehensive treatment plan. For purposes of the present study, the NEO-FFI was included. Personality characteristics were within normal ranges compared to NEO-FFI norms. Regression analyses demonstrated higher self-reported pain severity was associated with lower openness. Higher psychological distress was associated with higher neuroticism, lower extraversion, and lower openness. In patients reporting a traumatic life experience, neuroticism and extraversion mediated the relationship between trauma-symptoms and psychological distress. The addition of a global personality measure in standard assessment batteries may help the clinician develop coping strategies and techniques based on individual characteristics of the pain patient. Greater understanding of the individual’s personality characteristics will likely influence the nature of the pain management program and predict treatment outcomes.     

Personality as a determinant of social functioning in depression

BACKGROUND: The Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale (SASS) is an instrument for measuring drive-based aspects of social functioning and has been used in trials of antidepressants. It has been suggested that social adaptation may be akin to a personality trait. We investigated the personality dimensions of neuroticism and extraversion as determinants of social functioning measured by SASS in patients with depression. METHODS: Patients seen at a tertiary mood disorders unit were assessed using SASS, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Inventory of Depressive Symptoms-Self-Rated (IDS-SR) and Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ). RESULTS: In a sample of 80 depressed outpatients, we found that extraversion made the largest unique contribution to social functioning followed by self-rated severity of depression. Neuroticism and other clinical and demographic variables were not significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Social functioning as measured by SASS is predicted by extraversion and severity of depression. Personality traits should be taken into account when assessing social functioning in depression.     

Memory and hedonic tone: 'personality' or 'mood' congruence?

Four groups of healthy women matched for age and IQ were reliably classified on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire as being either high or low in extraversion or neuroticism. As part of a larger research project, each participant was administered a range of psychometric measures together with three paired-associate learning lists varying in hedonic tone and difficulty levels together with the Beck Depression Inventory. Performance on the hedonic lists covaried with personality categories but, unlike what typically obtains in clinical patients, less association emerged between performance and mood states. Performance was particularly polarized in women scoring high in neuroticism but low in extraversion. Speculations about the apparent correlates of so-called mood congruence in healthy subjects are put forward and parallels are drawn with studies reporting the phenomenon in clinically depressed patients.     

Five-factor personality traits in patients with seasonal depression: treatment effects and comparisons with bipolar patients.

BACKGROUND: Increasingly, the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality is being used to assess personality characteristics of patients with Axis I disorders. Recent study indicates that patients with the seasonal subtype of major depression (SAD) may differ meaningfully from other depressed patients. In the present study, we further examined this finding, with attention to the stability of personality characteristics across treatment. METHODS: We used the NEO-FFM to assess the personality characteristics of two samples of depressed outpatients: patients with SAD and patients with bipolar disorder. Assessment was repeated in the SAD patients after light therapy. RESULTS: Consistent with previous research, we found elevated scores on the Openness domain in the SAD patients. SAD patients also scored significantly lower on Neuroticism and significantly higher on the Conscientiousness and Extroversion domains than patients with bipolar disorder. Scores on the Openness domain remained elevated after treatment of SAD; this occurred in the context of significant decreases in Neuroticism and increases in Extroversion scores. LIMITATIONS: These results were obtained in a relatively small-sample study. Although our sample of bipolar patients were taking mood stabilizers, it is unlikely that medication effects could explain our results. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are consistent with those reported by Bagby et al. (Major depression and the five-factor model of personality. J. Pers. Disord. 1995;9:224-234) and suggests that Neuroticism and Extroversion are the FFM domains most responsive to treatment for depression. Our results also suggest that elevations on the Openness domain do not change with treatment and may be an enduring characteristic of patients with SAD.     

企业管理者人格特点研究

目的 研究企业管理者的人格特点.方法 采用分层、整群随机法选取某企业管理者1146人为样本.应用大五人格量表(OCEAN),按5个维度计总分,表示人格特征.应用SPSS 11.00软件包对数据统计分析.结果 企业管理者神经质、外倾性、开放性因子分均高于常模,宜人性和严谨性因子分低于常模.高压力组神经质因子分高于低压力组,而高压力组宜人性因子分低于低压力组.企业管理者既有宜人性、严谨性、开放性和外倾性的有利人格倾向;又有神经质性的不利人格倾向.结论 企业管理者既有有利人格倾向,又有不利人格倾向特点.可对不利人格倾向进行调适,以提高企业管理水平和效能.     

贫困大学生社会支持与人格发展的关系研究

目的考察贫困大学生人格发展与社会支持的现状,探讨其人格与社会支持的关系。方法采用大五人格问卷简化版（NEO-FFI）和社会支持量表（SSRS）作为测查工具,对湖南省6所高校大学生进行调查,对其中409名贫困大学生与抽取的457名非贫困大学生进行分析。结果贫困大学生在神经质、责任心特质上和朋友支持、居住环境、经济支持来源及参与活动情况上与非贫困大学生存在显著差异;客观支持、支持利用度、人格的经验开放性在贫困大学生的性别、专业和年级上主效应或交互作用显著;贫困大学生神经质因子与社会支持及各因子均为显著负相关,人格的其余各因子除经验开放性与责任心因子与社会支持的利用度相关不显著外,其余与社会支持总分、主观支持、客观支持均呈显著正相关;外倾性和责任心是社会支持的主要预测因素。结论贫困大学生相对非贫困大学生具有高神经质、高责任心的人格特质,贫困大学生的人格与社会支持具有性别和专业差异,人格特质对社会支持有一定的预测作用。     

Personality and the perception of health in the general population

BACKGROUND: Several population-based studies have shown that self-perceived health is a powerful predictor of health outcomes. The extent to which self-perceived health is associated with personality characteristics is, however, largely unknown. We aimed to study the relationship between self-perceived health and personality among adults in the community. METHOD: Data were drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States Survey, a representative sample of adults age 25-74. MANOVA was used to determine the relationship between self-perception of health and personality using the five-factor model. RESULTS: Personality factors were significantly associated with perception of poor health. Among those without self-reported medical problems (N = 834), openness to experience, extraversion and conscientiousness were associated with perception of good health, while neuroticism was associated with the perception of poor health. In subjects with self-reported medical problems (N = 2772), high scores on agreeableness, openness to experience, extraversion and conscientiousness, and low neuroticism scores were associated with perception of good health. These associations remained significant after adjustments for age, gender, race, marital status and education. CONCLUSIONS: Self-perceived health is strongly associated with personality characteristics, both in subjects with and without self-reported medical problems. It is suggested that personality characteristics could contribute to the previously reported associations between self-perceived health and health outcomes.     

Personality of seasonal affective disorder analyzed by Tri-dimensional Personality Questionnaire

BACKGROUND: Although there have been numerous reports in personality of mood disorders, there have been few reports in regard with personality of winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Furthermore, no reports have been published concerning summer SAD personality characteristics. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the personality of winter and summer SAD using Tri-dimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) that have been used in a variety of mental disorders. METHODS: A total of 6135 Japanese were evaluated with TPQ, the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) and the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). Winter, summer and non-SAD groups were classified by SPAQ. We compared the difference of personality trait among these three groups in consideration of gender, age and SDS score influence. RESULTS: Winter SAD demonstrated higher "Novelty Seeking" and "Harm Avoidance"; summer SAD showed higher "Harm Avoidance" than the non-SAD group. "Harm Avoidance" in both SAD groups was re-analyzed using SDS score as a covariate, and "Novelty Seeking" in winter SAD using age as a covariate. As a result, the significance of high "Novelty Seeking" and high "Harm Avoidance" in winter SAD was excluded. However, "Harm Avoidance" remained the significant difference between summer and non-SAD. LIMITATION: SAD was diagnosed only by SPAQ and not by interview. The state-dependency of "Harm Avoidance" was not confirmed in identical patients over lapse of time. CONCLUSION: Patients with winter SAD have high "Harm Avoidance" dependent on the depressive state that is in accordance with non-seasonal depression. Patients with summer SAD have high "Harm Avoidance" possibly independent from the depressive state.     

Two-year stability and change of neuroticism and extraversion in treated and untreated persons with depression: Findings from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA)

Background

The personality dimensions neuroticism and extraversion likely represent part of the vulnerability to depression. The stability over longer time periods of these personality dimensions in depressed patients treated with psychological treatment or medication and in untreated persons with depression in the general population remains unclear. Stability of neuroticism and extraversion in treated and untreated depressed persons would suggest that part of the vulnerability to depression remains stable over time. The current study addressed the question whether treatment in depressed patients is related to changes in neuroticism and extraversion.

Methods

Data are from 709 patients with major depressive disorder participating in a cohort study (Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety; NESDA). We determined the 2-year stability of extraversion and neuroticism in treated and untreated persons and related change in depression severity to change in personality over time.

Results

Neuroticism decreased from baseline to 2-year follow-up (d=0.73) in both treated and untreated persons. Extraversion did not change significantly after controlling for neuroticism and depression severity at baseline and follow-up. Decreased depressive symptoms over time were related to decreased neuroticism (d=1.91) whereas increased depressive symptoms over time were unrelated to neuroticism (d=0.06).

Limitations

Patients were not randomized to treatment conditions and the groups are therefore not directly comparable.

Conclusions

Treated patients with depression in the general population improve just as much on depression severity and neuroticism as untreated persons with depression. This suggests that changes in neuroticism in the context of treatment likely represent mood-state effects rather than direct effects of treatment.     

Personality self-reports are concurrently reliable and valid during acute depressive episodes

BACKGROUND: It is alleged that depression distorts the assessment of general personality traits. To test that hypothesis, we examined scores on the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) administered to acutely depressed patients at baseline and 14 to 26 weeks after treatment with antidepressant medication. METHOD: Two hundred and fifty patients completed the NEO-PI-R at baseline, 109 patients after 14 to 26 weeks of antidepressant pharmacotherapy. 48 patients (49.5%) were identified as responders while 49 (50.5%) were identified as non-responders. The remaining 12 patients were excluded because they met HRSD response criteria but not the SCID-I MDD criteria at treatment completion. RESULTS: At baseline, NEO-PI-R scales showed high internal consistency and replicated the normative factor structure, suggesting that psychometric properties were preserved. Among non-responders, retest correlations were uniformly high (rs=.50 to .88) and mean levels showed little change, providing evidence for the consistency of personality self-reports during an acute depressive episode. NEO-PI-R scales showed construct validity in the concurrent prediction of a number of clinical criteria. Effective treatment had significant effects on the mean levels of neuroticism, which decreased, and extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness, which increased. LIMITATIONS: The participants were from a clinical database and were not randomly assigned for the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the effect of acute depression is to amplify somewhat the personality profile of people prone to depression. Rather than regard these depression-caused changes in assessed personality trait levels as a distortion, we interpret them as accurate reflections of the current condition of the individual. Personality traits have biological bases, and when they are changed (by disease or therapeutic interventions) trait levels change.     

大学生竞争心理与人格特征的相关研究

目的:探讨大学生竞争心理与人格特征的相关关系。方法:使用测量方法对321名大学生的竞争心理与人格特征之间的关系进行了研究。结果:大学生大五人格中的严谨性、开放性和外向性与总体竞争的相关分别是0.211、0.179、0.217,存在显著的正相关;神经质则与总体竞争存在显著的负相关(r=-0.273);回归分析结果发现,神经质对总体竞争倾向存在着负向的预测作用,而外向性都具有正向的预测作用;男生的竞争心理主要与神经质、开放性和外向性相关,而女生的竞争心理主要与严谨性和神经质相关。结论:大学生竞争心理与人格特征的不同维度存在着一定的相关关系。     

Neuroticism and personality disorder in depression

Neuroticism and DSM-III personality disorder were studied in 39 depressed inpatients. Interrelationships between these variables and their relationship to depressive typology were compared. The relationship of neuroticism, DSM-III personality type and adequacy of personality to MAOI treatment are also examined. Neuroticism scores were unaffected by short-term treatment, and no differences in neuroticism were observed between melancholics and nonmelancholics, or between endogenous and nonendogenous depressives. Higher neuroticism scores were associated with DSM-III personality disorder. Personality disorder occurred significantly more often in nonmelancholia; borderline, antisocial and histrionic personality disorders occurred exclusively in nonmelancholia, while passive-aggressive, dependent and avoidant disorders occurred in both kinds of depression. Response to MAO inhibitor treatment was similar in patients with high and low neuroticism, adequate and inadequate personality, DSM-III personality disorder and no DSM-III personality disorder. Ambiguities of Eysenck's neuroticism scale are discussed in relationship to depression.     

医科大学生的心理健康状况和个性特征分析

目的 研究医科大学生的心理健康状况和个性特征问题.方法 采用症状自评量表(SCL-90)和"大五"人格量表(NEO-PI-R),对在校的400名医学生进行调查和统计分析.结果 医科大学生在强迫、抑郁、焦虑、恐怖、偏执、精神病性上的因子得分明显高于全国常模,男生和女生在强迫、人际关系、抑郁、敌对性、偏执和精神病性上的因子得分差异有显著性意义;医科大学生在5种个性类型中的分布由高到低依次为宜人性、谨慎性、外向性、情绪性、开放性,男女在情绪性和宜人性上存在差异.结论 医科大学生的个性类型与心理健康状况密切相关.     

Chronic haemodialysis and personality

The object of this study was to detect the influence of time under treatment on haemodialysis on the personality. The samples are a group on haemodialysis (EXT, n = 62) and a control group (CON, n = 33). The haemodialysis patients were grouped by years under treatment (EX1 less than 4 years, and EX2 greater than 4 years). To study personality variables, the Eysenck Personality Inventory test was used. The results showed, using t test, significant differences on neuroticism (N), extraversion (E) and lie or dissimulation (L), between both experimental subgroups (N, p less than 0.01; E, p less than 0.05 and L, p less than 0.02) as well as between experimental and control groups (N, p less than 0.01; E, p less than 0.01 and L, p less than 0.001). On the experimental group (EXT) a high neuroticism (mean = 73.1) level was observed associated with a low level of extraversion (mean = 41.8) and lie or dissimulation (mean = 29.9). According to the observed results, the length of time on haemodialysis affects the groups in a different, significant way. In the EX2 it is observed that the scores decrease on the three personality dimensions, their differences being significant. Conclusions: This chronic illness places patients first on a very high level of neuroticism, as a confrontation to the stress provoked by their situation. Following this, due to the patients' awareness of their own chronic state, the level of neuroticism decreases, their high level of introversion and the absence of lie as a possible defense mechanism of denial facing their hard reality being more significant.     

RASopathies are associated with a distinct personality profile

Personality is a complex, yet partially heritable, trait. Although some Mendelian diseases like Williams‐Beuren syndrome are associated with a particular personality profile, studies have failed to assign the personality features to a single gene or pathway. As a family of monogenic disorders caused by mutations in the Ras/MAPK pathway known to influence social behavior, RASopathies are likely to provide insight into the genetic basis of personality. Eighty subjects diagnosed with cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome, Costello syndrome, neurofibromatosis type 1, and Noonan syndrome were assessed using a parent‐report BFQ‐C (Big Five Questionnaire for Children) evaluating agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, intellect/openness, and neuroticism, along with 55 unaffected sibling controls. A short questionnaire was added to assess sense of humor. RASopathy subjects and sibling controls were compared for individual components of personality, multidimensional personality profiles, and individual questions using Student tests, analysis of variance, and principal component analysis. RASopathy subjects were given lower scores on average compared to sibling controls in agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and sense of humor, and similar scores in neuroticism. When comparing the multidimensional personality profile between groups, RASopathies showed a distinct profile from unaffected siblings, but no difference in this global profile was found within RASopathies, revealing a common profile for the Ras/MAPK‐related disorders. In addition, several syndrome‐specific strengths or weaknesses were observed in individual domains. We describe for the first time an association between a single pathway and a specific personality profile, providing a better understanding of the genetics underlying personality, and new tools for tailoring educational and behavioral approaches for individuals with RASopathies.     

Personality and insomnia symptoms in older adults: the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

Study ObjectiveTo examine associations of personality dimensions and facets with insomnia symptoms in a community sample of older adults.MethodsWe studied 1049 participants aged 60–97 years in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Personality was assessed by the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R), and insomnia symptom severity was measured by the Women’s Health Initiative Insomnia Rating Scale (WHIIRS).ResultsAdjusting for demographic characteristics, higher neuroticism, lower conscientiousness, and lower extraversion were associated with greater insomnia symptom severity. These associations remained significant for neuroticism and conscientiousness when further adjusting for depressive symptoms and comorbidities. Higher scores on neuroticism facets Anxiety, Angry Hostility, and Depression, and lower scores on conscientiousness facets Competence, Order, and Achievement Striving and on agreeableness facet Altruism were associated with greater insomnia symptom severity in fully adjusted models. Results were similar among cognitively normal older adults (N = 966), except higher scores on extraversion facets Warmth and Assertiveness associated with lower insomnia symptom severity, and agreeableness facet Altruism was unassociated.ConclusionAmong older adults, insomnia symptoms appear partially related to personality, with persons higher in neuroticism experiencing greater insomnia symptom severity, and those higher in conscientiousness experiencing lower insomnia symptom severity. Exploring facets of the Big-Five dimensions may provide additional insight regarding the etiology and resolution of sleep disturbance, and some of these associations may differ based on cognitive status. Future studies should investigate the hypothesis that sleep impairment mediates part of the association between specific personality traits and health-related outcomes.     

大学生竞争态度与大五人格关系的研究

目的研究大学生的竞争态度与人格的关系。方法采用竞争态度量表和大五人格问卷对哈尔滨市5所高校351名学生进行调查。结果良性竞争与外倾性、自觉性有显著的正相关,与宜人性有显著的负相关,过度竞争态度与神经质、外倾性有显著的正相关,与开放性、宜人性有显著的负相关。其中外倾性,宜人性是预测大学生竞争态度的稳定因素。另外竞争态度在性别、专业类型及年级方面也存在着差异。结论大学生的竞争态度与人格存在着相关关系。     

大学生不同人格特质对幽默风格的影响研究

目的探讨大学生不同人格特质在幽默风格上呈现的差异性,及不同人格特质与幽默风格的关系研究。方法以中文版幽默风格问卷(HSQ)与大五人格问卷(NEO-PI-R简版)为工具,对356名大学生进行测量。结果①大学生的某些幽默风格类型在年级上(F=4.611,P<0.01)存有差异性;②亲和型和自强型幽默风格与外倾性(r=0.320,0.425;P<0.01)、开放性(r=0.316,0.207;P<0.01)、宜人性(r=0.275,0.143;P<0.01)、自觉性(r=0.255,0.272;P<0.01)人格特征呈现显著正相关,而与神经质人格特征显著负相关;嘲讽型幽默风格与神经质(r=0.196,P<0.01)、外倾型(r=0.116,P<0.05)显著正相关,而与宜人性(r=-0.451,P<0.01)、自觉性(r=-0.329,P<0.01)显著负相关;但自贬型幽默风格仅与神经质显著正相关,而与宜人性、自觉性显著负相关;③回归分析表明,外倾性是亲和型和自强型幽默风格的正向预测变量。结论大学生的人格特质与他们的幽默风格密切相关。     

CSF 5-HIAA correlates with neuroticism in depressed patients.

BACKGROUND: To examine for relationships between neurotransmitters and personality. METHOD: 27 depressed patients had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) monoamine metabolites measured and completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). RESULT: CSF concentrations of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) correlated significantly with EPQ neuroticism scores. CONCLUSION: Central serotonin may play a role in neuroticism, a personality dimension predisposing to depression. LIMITATION: The positive correlation may partly reflect collinear relationships between both variables and anxiety/depression.     

警察的应对方式与心理健康、人格特征的相关分析

目的 :探讨警察的应对方式与其心理健康状况及人格特征的关系。方法 :对 6 10 7名深圳警察进行了简易应对方式问卷 (SCSQ)、症状自评量表 (SCL -90 )及五因素人格量表 (NEO -PI)的调查。结果 :警察在SCSQ中的积极应对维度得分与SCL -90中的所有 10个因子以及NEO -PI的中的神经质维度的得分存在明显负相关 ,并与NEO -PI中的严谨性、开放性、外向性、顺同性维度得分存在正相关 ;消极应对维度得分则与SCL -90中的所有 10个因子以及NEO -PI中的神经质维度的得分存在明显正相关 ,并与NEO -PI中的严谨性、开放性、外向性、顺同性维度得分存在负相关。结论 :警察的应对方式与其人格特征存在明显的相关关系 ,并可在某种程度上影响其心理健康状况