Alexithymia and Dissociative Experiences in a Sample of Patients with Alcohol use Disorder

Aims:Aims of this study were to investigate alexithymic traits and dissociative experiences in a sample of patients with Alcohol Use Disorders, the significance of this association and the possible correlation with temperamental and character personality traits.Methods:Eighty patients with diagnosis of Alcohol Use Disorder (DSM-IV) were consecutively recruited and assessed with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), to evaluate the alexithymic traits, the Dissociative Experience Scale II (DES II), to investigate the possible presence of dissociative experiences, and the Temperament and Character Inventory - Revised (TCI-R) in order to define a personality profile.Results:The mean scores obtained by the experimental group in both the TAS-20 and DES II do not differ from those estimated during the validation procedure. Pearson's linear correlation between scores was found statistically significant (p < .05). Significant correlations with some personality dimensions have also been found.Conclusions:According to some authors substances related disorders could be classified as “disturbs of emotional regulation”, an active process in which neurophysiological, motor-behavioural and cognitive-experiential systems are involved. The lack of connection or an inadequate development of these systems would result in the malfunction of the symbolic function and then in the inability for the subject to contain the tensions generated by internal needs and/or by environmental stimulations. Both alexithymia and dissociation may assume the form of defence mechanisms against the unbearable emotions. Finally, some personality factors may be involved both in the rise of dissociative states and in the alexithymic traits.

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Dissociation is Related to Self-directedness and Self-transcedence Character Traits in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(09)71270-2 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (S1) ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

M. Raszka ◽

J. Prako ◽

J. Kopřivová

Keyword(s):

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Harm Avoidance ◽

Personality Factors ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Temperament And Character Inventory ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Dissociative Experiences ◽

Character Inventory ◽

Neuropsychiatric Conditions

Introduction:The purpose of this study was to investigate the temperament and character patterns in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and to determine whether any presupposed relationship between harm avoidance, self-directedness, self-transcedence scores and dissociation in patients with OCD is present.Methods:The study sample comprised of 43 patients with OCD (26 females) and 44 healthy controls (29 females). All subjects were assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Dissociation was quantified by the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in OCD group were assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Correlation, unpaired t-test with Bonferroni correction for seven comparisons, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed.Results:OCD patients had significantly higher scores of harm avoidance and self-directedness compared with healthy comparison subjects. Dissociative experiences were more frequent in OCD patients comparing with controls. DES scores had negative correlation with self-directedness and positively correlated with self-transcedence scores, as well as with BDI-II and BAI scores in OCD group. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the severity of depressive symptoms, self-directedness and self-transcedence scores predicted the DES score. There was no significant correlation between severity of OCD symptoms and patterns of temperament and character.Conclusion:Dissociation is associated with self-directedness and self-transcedence dimensions of the Temperament and Character Inventory in OCD subjects. It emphasize the importance of considering the influence of dissociation in further studies of personality factors in neuropsychiatric conditions.This research was supported by grant MZ ČR IGA 9323-3/2007.

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Connections between personality and the symptomatology of alcohol use disorder

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)71782-5 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 71-71

Author(s):

E. Kurgyis ◽

B. Andó ◽

S. Rózsa ◽

A. Szkaliczki ◽

I. Demeter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Alcohol Dependence ◽

Symptom Severity ◽

Impulse Control ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Specific Impulse ◽

Personality Factors ◽

Clinical Aspects ◽

Novelty Seeking ◽

Dsm Iv

IntroductionTemperament and character factors and specific impulse control-related personality traits are connected to the developmental and clinical aspects of alcohol use disorder (AUD).Objectives/aimsTo reveal the underlying personality structure of individual differences in the symptom severity of AUD. Therefore temperament and character, impulsivity and aggression were assessed in relation to alcohol addiction severity.MethodsSixty-three patients with AUD were involved. Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised was used to quantify temperament and character dimensions. Impulsivity was assessed by the Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11 (BIS) and aggression by the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). To determine symptom severity of AUD the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale-Revised (MAC-R) and the number of DSM-IV alcohol dependence symptoms were registered. To analyze the connections between symptom severity indicators and personality factors Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis were applied, p < 0.05 were considered significant.ResultsSADQ (r = 0.290), AUDIT (r = 0.345), MAC-R (r = 0.504) and the DSM-IV alcohol dependence symptoms (Spearman rho = 0.271) correlated positively with novelty-seeking temperament factor. SADQ (r = 0.262) and AUDIT (r = 0.293) scores correlated positively with BIS. Furthermore SADQ (r = 0.382), AUDIT (r = 0.318), MAC-R (r = 0.416) correlated positively with BPAQ.ConclusionsNovelty-seeking, impulsivity and aggression as indicators of impulse control have different theoretical backgrounds but a common root. This study has revealed that the adverse consequences of lower impulse control can lead to more severe symptoms of AUD. These connections between impulse control and the symptomatology could contribute to a better understanding of the clinical complexity of AUD.

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Partial mediator role of physical abuse on the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and severity of dissociative experiences in a sample of inpatients with alcohol use disorder

Indian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.4103/psychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_366_16 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 59 (3) ◽

pp. 306 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Muge Bozkurt ◽

Cuneyt Evren ◽

Gokhan Umut ◽

Yesim Can ◽

Bilge Evren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Physical Abuse ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Dissociative Experiences ◽

Mediator Role ◽

The Relationship

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Proneness to Alcohol use Disorder or Pathological Gambling as Differentially Determined by Early Parental and Personality Factors

Journal of Gambling Studies ◽

10.1007/s10899-021-10095-2 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Ivana Perunicic-Mladenovic ◽

Snezana Filipovic

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Pathological Gambling ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Personality Factors

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How Dissociation, Temperament and Character Influence at the Eating Disorders

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.02.144 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S286-S286

Author(s):

V. Muñoz Martínez ◽

T. Rodriguez Cano ◽

L. Beato Fernández ◽

G.A. Jimenez Londoño ◽

B. Mata Saenz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Therapeutic Process ◽

Eating Attitudes ◽

Emotional Dysregulation ◽

Self Determination ◽

Temperament And Character Inventory ◽

Outpatient Program ◽

Character Inventory ◽

Dissociative Experience Scale ◽

Competing Interest

ObjectivesDissociation has been related to emotional dysregulation and eating psychopathology. Dissociation may interfere with the learning process, affecting at the therapy negatively. The aim of the study is to analyse if at the eating disorders (ED), dissociation is linked to temperamental traits or also to character traits, which are susceptible to be modulated during the therapeutic process.MethodsWe studied 119 females that started an outpatient program for their ED. We used the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). We used multiple regression analysis.ResultsDissociation was associated with high scores on the EAT-40, even controlling the effect of anxiety traits, which also was related to dissociation. The temperament dimension “searching for novelty”, has been related in an opposite way to the DES. Also, the “dimension of transcendence “character and “self determination” influenced on the DES.ConclusionsThis study confirms the importance of improving Self Determination levels at ED therapy, which influence on a lot of prognostic aspects, such as protecting from dissociation, which is related to anxiety and alimentary psychopathology and can interfere with the therapeutic progress.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Sleep disturbances are associated with cortical and subcortical atrophy in alcohol use disorder

Translational Psychiatry ◽

10.1038/s41398-021-01534-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rui Zhang ◽

Dardo Tomasi ◽

Peter Manza ◽

Ehsan Shokri-Kojori ◽

Sukru B. Demiral ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Rem Sleep ◽

Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Sleep Disturbances ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Right Hemisphere ◽

Occipital Cortex ◽

Chronic Alcohol ◽

Supramarginal Gyrus

AbstractSleep disturbances are prominent in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and predict relapse. So far, the mechanisms underlying sleep disruptions in AUD are poorly understood. Because sleep-related regions vastly overlap with regions, where patients with AUD showed pronounced grey matter (GM) reduction; we hypothesized that GM structure could contribute to sleep disturbances associated with chronic alcohol use. We combined sleep EEG recording and high-resolution structural brain imaging to examine the GM-sleep associations in 36 AUD vs. 26 healthy controls (HC). The patterns of GM-sleep associations differed for N3 vs. REM sleep and for AUD vs. HC. For cortical thickness (CT), CT-sleep associations were significant in AUD but not in HC and were lateralized such that lower CT in right hemisphere was associated with shorter N3, whereas in left hemisphere was associated with shorter REM sleep. For the GM density (GMD), we observed a more extensive positive GMD-N3 association in AUD (right orbitofrontal cortex, cerebellum, dorsal cingulate and occipital cortex) than in HC (right orbitofrontal cortex), and the GMD-REM association was positive in AUD (midline, motor and paralimbic regions) whereas negative in HC (the left supramarginal gyrus). GM structure mediated the effect of chronic alcohol use on the duration of N3 and the age by alcohol effect on REM sleep. Our findings provide evidence that sleep disturbances in AUD were associated with GM reductions. Targeting sleep-related regions might improve sleep in AUD and enhance sleep-induced benefits in cognition and emotional regulation for recovery.

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Pain Sensitivity, Negative Affect, and Alcohol Use Disorder Status: A Moderated Mediation Study of Emotion Dysregulation

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10061321 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1321

Author(s):

Maciej Kopera ◽

Elisa M. Trucco ◽

Hubert Suszek ◽

Paweł Kobyliński ◽

Paweł Wiśniewski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Affect Regulation ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Emotion Dysregulation ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Pain Sensitivity ◽

Moderated Mediation ◽

Emotional Dysregulation ◽

Healthy Controls

Previous work suggests that the association between pain and emotional processes among individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) may differ from healthy controls. This study investigates whether pain sensitivity mediates the association between negative affect and emotional dysregulation and whether this association differs across AUD status using moderated mediation. The sample included 165 individuals diagnosed with AUD and 110 healthy controls. Of interest was pain sensitivity, as assessed with the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire, negative affect, as assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory, and emotional dysregulation, as assessed with the Difficulties in Emotional regulation Scale. Age, biological sex, and current pain severity were included as covariates. The results support a moderated partial mediation model that explained 44% of the variance in emotional dysregulation. The findings indicate that negative affect is related to higher pain sensitivity across groups. Moreover, pain sensitivity partially mediated the association between negative affect and emotional dysregulation, but in opposite directions depending on AUD status. Among healthy controls, greater pain sensitivity was related to better emotional regulation, while greater pain sensitivity led to greater emotional dysregulation among individuals with AUD. The potential parallels in the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of emotionality, pain, and AUD suggest that interventions targeting pain may improve adaptive affect regulation skills, which in turn could reduce negative affect and its effect on pain sensitivity among individuals with AUD.

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Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory and the Neo Five-Factor Inventory

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.2002.90.3c.1059 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 90 (3_suppl) ◽

pp. 1059-1063 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Nerella V. Ramanaiah ◽

Jennifer K. Rielage ◽

Yuqiu Cheng

Keyword(s):

Principal Axis ◽

Factor Model ◽

Five Factor Model ◽

Psychology Students ◽

Personality Factors ◽

Temperament And Character Inventory ◽

Five Factors ◽

Principal Axis Factor Analysis ◽

Character Inventory ◽

Neo Five Factor Inventory

A principal axis factor analysis was performed jointly for the seven Temperament and Character Inventory scales and the five NEO Five-Factor Inventory scales, using 95 male and 109 female introductory psychology students. The five factors obtained were similar to the five major personality factors of Neuroticism, Extra-version, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness, and supported the comprehensiveness of the five-factor model of personality.

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The influence of temperament and character on functioning and aspects of psychological health among people with schizophrenia

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2003.07.008 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 34-41 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Mona Eklund ◽

Lars Hansson ◽

Anita Bengtsson-Tops

Keyword(s):

Psychological Health ◽

Perceived Control ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Personality Factors ◽

Temperament And Character Inventory ◽

Level Of Functioning ◽

Character Inventory ◽

Schizophrenic Patients ◽

Research Findings ◽

Highly Correlated

AbstractResearch findings that link personality factors to functioning and symptoms in schizophrenia are inconsistent, and further studies are needed within the area. The purpose of this study was to investigate how personality, as measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), was related to demographic factors, subtypes of diagnoses, level of functioning, and aspects of psychological health, including sense of coherence, perceived control, and self-esteem, among people with schizophrenia. Subjects were 104 individuals, aged 20–55 years, in psychiatric outpatient care. The results indicated that personality was not related to subtypes of diagnoses or demographic characteristics of the respondents, but to level of functioning and all aspects of psychological health. Especially self-directedness distinguished three groups of functioning and was highly correlated with the different aspects of psychological health. The article discusses how knowledge of schizophrenic patients’ personality structure might be used for tailoring psychiatric treatments.

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