Personality,psychopathology, and nicotine response as mediators of the genetics of smoking

Individual differences in psychopathology, personality, and nicotine responsitivity and their biological bases are evaluated as mechanisms potentially mediating smoking heritability. Smokers are more likely to be high in neurotic traits (e.g., depression, anxiety, anger) and in social alienation (psychoticism, impulsivity, unsocialized sensation-seeking, low conscientiousness, low agreeableness) and low in achievement/socioeconomic status. Psychological and biological mechanisms putatively mediating these associations are reviewed. It is concluded that a number of relatively indirect and complex processes, as well as more direct (e.g., self-medication for psychopathology, nicotine sensitivity), mediate the inheritance of smoking behavior.     

Psychosocial factors regulating natural-killer cell activity in recurrent spontaneous abortions

PROBLEM: The preconceptional natural-killer cell (NK) activity predicts subsequent miscarriage among women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrine network has recently been proposed as a mechanism for abortions. We therefore examined which psychosocial factors influenced the NK activity among women with RSA. METHOD OF STUDY: We measured the preconceptional NK activity of 61 women with a history two consecutive unexplained first-trimester miscarriages and no live births. We also administered semi-structured interviews and a battery of self-report questionnaires to assess their social support, personality, self-esteem and psychiatric symptoms. RESULTS: The preconceptional NK activity was negatively correlated with the women's neuroticism personality trait (r= -0.32, P = 0.01) and current depressive symptoms (r = -0.26, P= 0.05), and positively correlated with their self-esteem (r = 0.34, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to several substances such as transforming-growth-factor beta and granulocyte-macrophase colony-stimulating factor, we found that low neuroticism, low depression scale score and high self-esteem contributed to high NK activity among women with RSA.     

Willignes to drive when drunk and personality: A twin study

In a laboratory study of psychomotor sensitivity to alcohol, twins were asked “Would you drive a car now?” at 1, 2, and 3 h after drinking a standard dose of ethanol (0.75 g/kg). Correlations among these binary items, the Eysenck personality scales, and age were investigated using PRELIS and LISREL. Willingness to drive and Extraversion correlate at all three times in both males and females. In males, willingness to drive also correlates with Psychoticism, and in females it correlates negatively with the Lie (or Social Desirability) scale. Most correlations between cotwins in willingness to drive were significant in both monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) male twins but correlations were lower in female twins. Factor and Markovian models were fitted. In males there seem to be both genetic and cultural influences on willingness to drive when drunk. About half the genetic variance seems to be the pleiotropic effects of genes influencing Extraversion. The correlationswith Psychoticism, on the other hand, seem to be largely environmental in origin. The small sample size and lack of proper significance tests mean that these results must be interpreted with caution.     

Heredity in personality disorders — an overview

The concept of personality disorders is based on deviant personality traits in both the DSM-III-R and ICD-10 classifications. A diagnosis of personality disorder can be made reliably with structured interviews. Many individuals are diagnosed with more than one personality disorder, and other mental disorders are often found at the same time. Among the 11 personality disorders in DSM-III-R, only the schizotypal, borderline, and antisocial have been examined to any considerable extent for gene effects. The problems of studying heredity are here demonstrated for borderline and antisocial personality disorders. Recommendations are given as to strategies for further study of heredity in personality disorders.     

神经症患者 MMPI 的动态观察——MMPI 的临床应用及神经症与个性的探讨

本文总结了40例神经症患者 MMPI 的动态观察,结果发现显效组患者治疗后,所有临床量表都恢复了正常,而无效组则无变化,从资料的分析讨论中,归纳出 MMPI 对神经症有反映病理心理特点、严重度、转归、予后、病前个性及发病机理等多方面作用,并认为神经症的症状性质与患者的人格基础密切有关。     

Personality traits and platelet MAO activity in alcohol and drug abusing teenage boys

The aim of this study has been to investigate whether teenage boys with mixed drug abuse differ from those with pure alcohol abuse as concerns personality traits and platelet monoamine oxidase activity. The series included 1129 consecutive 18-year-old males called to the Enlistment Center in the northern part of Sweden. A special inventory was constructed based on Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS), Eysenck's Personality Inventory (EPI), the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP) and questions about alcohol and drug consumption. The subjects with mixed drug abuse (n = 96) had high scores in the two subscales of SSS and KSP related to ability to stand boredom, high scores in both subscales of EPI and KSP related to impulsivity, high scores in Thrill and Adventure Seeking (TAS) and Experience Seeking (ES) of SSS as well as low platelet monoamine oxidase activity. The males with pure alcohol abuse (n = 33) also showed signs of monotony avoidance and impulsivity, but this type of abuse was not clearly related to low platelet monoamine oxidase activity and not to the aspects of curiosity included in the SSS such as TAS and ES. These findings are consistent with the picture earlier found as concerns "Type II" alcoholism which has an early onset, is genetically transmitted, is associated with mixed drug abuse and social complications.     

在监女犯MMPI测试对照分析

目的 研究在监女犯与正常女性心理状况的差异性及其与犯罪的关系。方法 应用MMPI测查144例在监女犯并以文化、年龄相当的社会女性159例为对照组,使用x^2、t检验对资料进行处理。结果 13个基本量表的平均量表分比较,研究组均明显大于对照组（P＜0．01）,在监女犯心理偏离占84．03％,明显高于对照组的8．18％（P＜0．01）。结论 女性犯罪可能与其有较多的心理偏离有关,为在监女犯的改造提供科学依据。     

颞下颌关节紊乱病患者个性及应激反应的研究

目的 :了解TMDs患者的个性特征及应激反应状况。方法 :采用艾森克个性问卷、生活事件调查表、状态焦虑 特质焦虑调查表 ,分别对 80名TMDs患者和 6 5名正常人进行问卷测试 ,结果行统计学分析。结果 :①患病组E量表分偏低而N量表分偏高 ,与对照组比较差异有显著性。②两组负性生活事件发生率差异无显著性。③患病组的S AI和T AI分值均高于对照组。结论 :TMDs患者个性倾向内倾、不稳定型 ,且遇到压力时更易紧张焦虑     

大五人格因素与企业职工工作倦怠的关系

目的:探讨大五人格因素与企业职工工作倦怠的关系。方法:采用工作倦怠问卷(MBI-GS)与大五人格问卷调查了506名某企业职工。结果:分层回归分析的结果显示,在控制了人口统计学变量之后,大五人格因素所解释的工作倦怠的方差变异量,在情绪衰竭、玩世不恭和职业效能三个维度分别为28%、24%和17%。具体而言,宜人性是情绪衰竭、玩世不恭和职业效能的有效预测因子;责任感是玩世不恭和职业效能的有效预测因子;情绪稳定性是情绪衰竭和玩世不恭的有效预测因子;而外向性和开放性两个维度对工作倦怠的预测作用均未达到显著水平。结论:大五人格因素能够有效预测企业职工的工作倦怠。