TY - JOUR
T1 - How to tell a happy from an unhappy schizotype
T2 - Personality factors and mental health outcomes in individuals with psychotic experiences
AU - Alminhana, Letícia Oliveira
AU - Farias, Miguel
AU - Claridge, Gordon
AU - Cloninger, Claude R.
AU - Moreira-Almeida, Alexander
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Objective:: It is unclear why some individuals reporting psychotic experiences have balanced lives while others go on to develop mental health problems. The objective of this study was to test if the personality traits of harm avoidance, self-directedness, and self-transcendence can be used as criteria to differentiate healthy from unhealthy schizotypal individuals.Methods:: We interviewed 115 participants who reported a high frequency of psychotic experiences. The instruments used were the Temperament and Character Inventory (140), Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, and the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences.Results:: Harm avoidance predicted cognitive disorganization (β = 0.319; t = 2.94), while novelty seeking predicted bipolar disorder (β = 0.136, Exp [β] = 1.146) and impulsive non-conformity (β = 0.322; t = 3.55). Self-directedness predicted an overall decrease in schizotypy, most of all in cognitive disorganization (β = -0.356; t = -2.95) and in impulsive non-conformity (β = -0.313; t = -2.83). Finally, self-transcendence predicted unusual experiences (β = 0.256; t = 2.32).Conclusion:: Personality features are important criteria to distinguish between pathology and mental health in individuals presenting high levels of anomalous experiences (AEs). While self-directedness is a protective factor, both harm avoidance and novelty seeking were predictors of negative mental health outcomes. We suggest that the impact of AEs on mental health is moderated by personality factors.
AB - Objective:: It is unclear why some individuals reporting psychotic experiences have balanced lives while others go on to develop mental health problems. The objective of this study was to test if the personality traits of harm avoidance, self-directedness, and self-transcendence can be used as criteria to differentiate healthy from unhealthy schizotypal individuals.Methods:: We interviewed 115 participants who reported a high frequency of psychotic experiences. The instruments used were the Temperament and Character Inventory (140), Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, and the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences.Results:: Harm avoidance predicted cognitive disorganization (β = 0.319; t = 2.94), while novelty seeking predicted bipolar disorder (β = 0.136, Exp [β] = 1.146) and impulsive non-conformity (β = 0.322; t = 3.55). Self-directedness predicted an overall decrease in schizotypy, most of all in cognitive disorganization (β = -0.356; t = -2.95) and in impulsive non-conformity (β = -0.313; t = -2.83). Finally, self-transcendence predicted unusual experiences (β = 0.256; t = 2.32).Conclusion:: Personality features are important criteria to distinguish between pathology and mental health in individuals presenting high levels of anomalous experiences (AEs). While self-directedness is a protective factor, both harm avoidance and novelty seeking were predictors of negative mental health outcomes. We suggest that the impact of AEs on mental health is moderated by personality factors.
KW - Diagnosis and classification
KW - Outpatient psychiatry
KW - Personality disorders - cluster a (paranoid-schizoid-schizotypal)
KW - Psychosis
KW - Religion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85020189865&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1590/1516-4446-2016-1944
DO - 10.1590/1516-4446-2016-1944
M3 - Article
C2 - 27901211
VL - 39
SP - 126
EP - 132
JO - Revista da Associacao Brasileira de Psiquiatria
JF - Revista da Associacao Brasileira de Psiquiatria
SN - 1516-4446
IS - 2
ER -