Narcissism and Risk-Taking

Previous research has shown that narcissism is associated with risk-taking. However, little is known about the factors that may contribute to narcissistic individuals being more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour. The present research examined whether social worldviews would mediate the associations that specific narcissistic personality features had with risk-taking across life domains in a sample of Iranian community members (N = 489). Our results revealed that the extraverted, antagonistic, and neurotic aspects of narcissism had positive indirect associations with risk-taking in certain life domains through the competitive social worldview. These results suggest that the tendency to view the social environment as intensely competitive may play an important role in the associations that narcissistic personality features have with risk-taking in certain life domains.

Environmental Friendliness of a Person’s Musical Space as a Factor of Personality Disharmony Prevention

The article discusses correlations between a person’s musical space and the degree of personality harmony. The sound environment of a person always influences personality formation and his/her behaviour. By studying a person's musical preferences, a degree of harmony of his/her personality development can be understood. The article's purpose is to determine the correlation of musical preferences with the existence of personality disharmony and types of his/her relationships with others, as well as to determine the specifics of the impact of music on personality features of people with special needs. The authors started from the assumption that, depending on his/her personality traits, a person prefers certain patterns of musical discourse. The empirical study aimed to study relations of such personality features that testify the personality disharmony and are manifested in non-viable relationships with others. The personality manifestations in communications and educational activities were also analyzed. It was determined that music therapy plays an important role in the formation of their personalities for people with special needs. The correlation of personality traits with the perception of music has shown that persons with the external locus of control choose musical discourses that, as for their psychological content, reflect uncertainty, amorphy of world perception or its simplicity, primitiveness; on the contrary, persons with the internal locus of control choose energetic, purposeful music. Persons with the disharmonious type of relationships choose music whose psychological and emotional content reflects the next personality traits: possible aggressive behaviour; a life course that does not demand serious decisions, irresponsibility, and reluctance to resolve complex situations.

Impact of Personality Features and Interpersonal Problems on Anxiety Among Older Adults

Introduction Anxiety is a significant mental health problem among older adults and is associated with multiple other mental disorders, poor psychosocial functioning, and reduced quality of life. Personality traits and disorders, along with interpersonal problems, may play a significant role in anxiety, but these relationships are not well understood among older adults. This study examined relationships between anxiety with normative personality traits, personality disorder (PD) features, and interpersonal problems. Method: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 130) completed the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS), Coolidge Axis Two Inventory (CATI), Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2), and Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems (CSIP). Results Anxiety was positively correlated with 13 of 14 CATI PD scales, ranging from .23 (Narcissistic) to .61 (Depressive). Regarding normative personality, anxiety was associated with Agreeableness (-.23), Conscientiousness (-.30), Extraversion (-.31), and Negative Emotionality (.56). Regarding interpersonal problems, anxiety was positively related to all eight CSIP scales: Self-Sacrificing (.30), Domineering (.31), Exploitable (.40), Intrusive (.41), Self-centered (.47), Nonassertive (.50), Socially Inhibited (.60), and Distant/Cold (.62). Regression analyses indicated that PD features accounted for the most variance in anxiety (53%), followed by interpersonal problems, (46%) and normative personality traits (33%). Discussion Anxiety appears to be meaningfully associated with PD features, several aspects of normative personality, and interpersonal problems, suggesting that these variables may play a role in the development of anxiety, or vice versa. Our findings especially speak to the growing awareness of the deleterious impact of PD features on clinical syndromes in later life, as evidenced by strong comorbidities with anxiety.

Why are Psychopaths Difficult to Treat? Testing the Two-Component Model for the Treatment of PCL Psychopaths

<p>Psychopathic personality disorder as conceptualised by the family of scales referred to as the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL), is often cited as a specific responsivity characteristic that will interfere with an otherwise effective treatment programme. However, most research on the treatment of prisoners high on PCL psychopathy asks whether or not they are treatable as opposed to why they are difficult to treat. The Two-Component model (2-C; Wong & Olver, 2015) for the treatment of PCL psychopaths proposes that treatment difficulties observed for those high on PCL psychopathy are primarily caused by the interpersonal and affective personality features of psychopathy represented by PCL Factor 1 (F1). Thus the 2-C model suggests that therapists work around the emotional deficits and disruptive behaviours associated with PCL F1 to focus on changing risk-relevant behaviours that are associated with PCL Factor 2 (F2). In this thesis, we test the assumptions of the 2-C model with a group of high-risk violent men who attended an intensive violence treatment programme and were assessed with a PCL instrument. Specifically, we examined whether the personality features of PCL psychopathy led to more treatment difficulties than the behavioural features by exploring relationships between the factors/facets of the PCL and treatment completion, reconviction, change on dynamic risk, the therapeutic alliance and behaviour during treatment. In support of the 2-C model we found that PCL:SV Part 1 and its underlying facets were significantly associated with higher rates of removal from treatment, a poorer therapeutic alliance, and lower levels of emotional and performance based behaviours during treatment. Mediation analyses also revealed that the relationships between PCL:SV Part 1 variables and removal were partly explained by lower levels of emotional and performance based behaviours. Also in support of the 2-C model, we found that PCL:SV Part 2 and its underlying facets demonstrated stronger, significant associations with pre-treatment dynamic risk and post-treatment reconvictions when compared with PCL:SV Part 1 variables. Furthermore, poorer performance based behaviours during treatment mediated relationships between PCL:SV Part 2 variables and reconviction outcomes. Several of our findings however, also failed to support or contradicted assumptions of the 2-C model. All these findings are discussed in relation to their implications for the 2-C model, psychopathy treatment research, specific responsivity, the structure of PCL psychopathy, and the utility of the PCL in forensic and legal settings.</p>

Why are Psychopaths Difficult to Treat? Testing the Two-Component Model for the Treatment of PCL Psychopaths

<p>Psychopathic personality disorder as conceptualised by the family of scales referred to as the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL), is often cited as a specific responsivity characteristic that will interfere with an otherwise effective treatment programme. However, most research on the treatment of prisoners high on PCL psychopathy asks whether or not they are treatable as opposed to why they are difficult to treat. The Two-Component model (2-C; Wong & Olver, 2015) for the treatment of PCL psychopaths proposes that treatment difficulties observed for those high on PCL psychopathy are primarily caused by the interpersonal and affective personality features of psychopathy represented by PCL Factor 1 (F1). Thus the 2-C model suggests that therapists work around the emotional deficits and disruptive behaviours associated with PCL F1 to focus on changing risk-relevant behaviours that are associated with PCL Factor 2 (F2). In this thesis, we test the assumptions of the 2-C model with a group of high-risk violent men who attended an intensive violence treatment programme and were assessed with a PCL instrument. Specifically, we examined whether the personality features of PCL psychopathy led to more treatment difficulties than the behavioural features by exploring relationships between the factors/facets of the PCL and treatment completion, reconviction, change on dynamic risk, the therapeutic alliance and behaviour during treatment. In support of the 2-C model we found that PCL:SV Part 1 and its underlying facets were significantly associated with higher rates of removal from treatment, a poorer therapeutic alliance, and lower levels of emotional and performance based behaviours during treatment. Mediation analyses also revealed that the relationships between PCL:SV Part 1 variables and removal were partly explained by lower levels of emotional and performance based behaviours. Also in support of the 2-C model, we found that PCL:SV Part 2 and its underlying facets demonstrated stronger, significant associations with pre-treatment dynamic risk and post-treatment reconvictions when compared with PCL:SV Part 1 variables. Furthermore, poorer performance based behaviours during treatment mediated relationships between PCL:SV Part 2 variables and reconviction outcomes. Several of our findings however, also failed to support or contradicted assumptions of the 2-C model. All these findings are discussed in relation to their implications for the 2-C model, psychopathy treatment research, specific responsivity, the structure of PCL psychopathy, and the utility of the PCL in forensic and legal settings.</p>

DRD4 Exon 3 Gene Polymorphisms in Patients Diagnosed with Polysubstance Use Disorder and Co-Occurrence of a Depressive Episode

Background: There has been a noticeable and systematic growth of the use of psychoactive substances over the past few decades. Dual diagnosis is a clinical term referring to the occurrence of psychoactive substance use disorder comorbid with another psychiatric disorder in the same person. The most common type of dual diagnosis is the co-occurrence of alcohol use disorder and mood disorders in the form of a depressive episode. Co-occurrent substance use disorders are frequently influenced by genetic factors. In selecting our area of research, we focused on dopamine and the DRD4 (Dopamine Receptor D4) gene polymorphism as well as associations with personality features. The aim of the study: The aim of the study was to compare DRD4 exon 3 (DRD4 Ex3) gene polymorphisms in patients diagnosed with polysubstance use disorder and co-occurrence of a depressive episode to DRD4 exon 3 gene polymorphisms in patients diagnosed with polysubstance use disorder and without co-occurrence of a depressive episode and a group of healthy volunteers. The study also aimed at establishing associations between personality features and DRD4 exon 3 gene polymorphisms of male patients diagnosed with polysubstance use disorder with co-occurrence of a depressive episode which may present a specific endophenotype of this group of patients. Methods: The study group comprised 602 male volunteers: patients diagnosed with polysubstance use disorder comorbid with a depressive episode (PUD MDD) (n = 95; mean age = 28.29, standard deviation (SD) = 7.40), patients diagnosed with polysubstance use disorder (PUD) (n = 206; mean age = 28.13, SD = 5.97), and controls (n = 301; mean age = 22.13, SD = 4.57). The patients and control subjects were diagnosed by a psychiatrist using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), the NEO Five-Factor Personality Inventory (NEO-FFI), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires. An analysis of the DRD4 exon 3 polymorphism was performed. Results: The patients diagnosed with PUD MDD compared to the control group of healthy volunteers showed significantly higher scores on both the STAI status and features scale and the NEO-FFI Neuroticism and Openness Scale, as well as lower scores on the Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness NEO-FFI scales. In the DRD4 exon 3 gene polymorphism, the s allele was more frequent in the PUD MDD compared to the l allele, which was less frequent. The results of the 2 × 3 factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) in patients and controls and the variant DRD4 exon 3 interaction were found on the Extraversion Scale and the Conscientiousness Scale of the NEO-FFI. Conclusions: The associations show that psychological factors combined with genetic data create a new area of research on addiction, including the problem of dual diagnosis. However, we want to be careful and draw no definite conclusions at this stage of our research.

A Feasibility Study of the Addition of STEPPS in Outpatients With Bipolar Disorder and Comorbid Borderline Personality Features: Promises and Pitfalls

Background: Pharmacotherapy is a cornerstone in bipolar disorder (BD) treatment whereas borderline personality disorder (BPD) is treated primarily with psychotherapy. Given the overlap in symptomatology, patients with BD may benefit from psychotherapy designed for BPD.Aims: This paper reports the findings of a non-controlled open feasibility study of STEPPS training in patients with BD and borderline personality features (BPF).Methods: Outpatients with BD were screened for BPD, and if positive interviewed with SCID-II. Patients with at least three BPF, always including impulsivity and anger burst, were included in the intervention study. Severity of BD and BPD and quality of life were assessed. Descriptive statistics were performed.Results: Of 111 patients with BD 49.5% also screened positive on BPD according to PDQ-4+, and 52.3% of these had BPD according to SCID-II. Very few participants entered the intervention study, and only nine patients completed STEPPS. Descriptive statistics showed improvement on all outcome variables post treatment, but no longer at 6-month follow up. We reflect on the potential reasons for the failed inclusion.Conclusion: Features of BPD were highly prevalent in patients with BD. Still, recruiting patients for a psychological treatment originally designed for BPD proved to be difficult. Feedback of participants suggests that the association of STEPPS with “borderline” had an aversive effect, which may have caused limited inclusion for screening and subsequent drop-out for the treatment. Therefore, STEPPS should be adapted for BD to be an acceptable treatment option.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov/3856, identifier: NTR4016.