Randolf Alnæs

Differential perception of parental bonding in schizotypal and borderline personality disorder patients

Fifty-four patients with schizotypal and/or borderline personality disorders were compared with 165 patients with other personality disorders and 52 patients with no personality disorders as to their perception of parental behavior in childhood. Both schizotypals and borderlines reported low care; however, schizotypals remembered underprotection and borderline overprotection. The study suggests parental neglect in the childhood memory of schizotypals and negative over-involvement for borderlines.

DSM-III personality disorders among patients with major depression, anxiety disorders, and mixed conditions

Of 298 mainly nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients between 19 and 59 years of age, a group of patients having either pure major depression, major depression in combination with anxiety disorders, or pure anxiety disorders was extracted. The anxiety disorders were further differentiated in panic and nonpanic anxiety disorders. The groups were compared as to differences in frequency of personality disorders assessed by means of the Structured Interview for DSM-III Personality Disorders. The mixed major depression/ anxiety disorder group appeared to be the most deviant with more severe personality disorders such as paranoid and borderline in addition to avoidant and dependent personality disorder. The differentiation between panic and nonpanic anxiety showed that it was patients with nonpanic anxiety features in addition to major depression who had this higher frequency of personality disorders. These findings imply that it is important to distinguish between major depression cases with and without anxiety disorders both in forthcoming research and in clinical practice.

Personality as long-term predictor of coping

Abstract In this study, the cross-sectional and longitudinal influence of personality traits on dispositional coping was examined. The sample consisted of 229 psychiatric outpatients who were investigated twice in an interval of six years. Personality was assessed twice with the Basic Character Inventory, which measures 17 general neurotic, impulsive hysterical and obsessive traits. Coping was measured once, at follow-up, with a questionnaire that provides scores for 15 problem-focused, uplifting-mood and avoidance/discharge dispositional coping styles. Personality traits were found to be significant short-term and long-term predictors of coping. The neurotic and hysterical traits both showed numerous and remarkably stable correlations with coping over time. The obsessive traits proved to be poorer predictors of coping cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Neurotic traits were negative predictors of problem-focused coping, ‘uplifting mood’ coping and positive predictors of avoidance/emotional discharge coping. They seemed to constitute a risk factor for the coping process. Hysterical traits, especially sociability, were positive predictors of problem-focused coping, coping directed at uplifting mood, and negative predictors of avoidance coping. They seemed to function as a resource in the coping process.

The relationship between the MCMI personality scales and DSM-III, axis II.

Compared were the personality scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) to the diagnosis of personality disorder, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed. [DSM-III]; American Psychiatric Association, 1980), obtained by means of the Structured Interview for the DSM-III Personality Disorders (SIDP). The results from 272 psychiatric outpatients show a good correspondence for the Avoidant and the Dependent scales, a fairly good correspondence for the Schizotypal, the Histrionic, the Borderline, the Narcissistic, and the Paranoid scales, and no correspondence for the Schizoid, the Passive-Aggressive, and the Compulsive scales. The Passive-Aggressive scale seems to be positively correlated to personality disorders in general, whereas the Compulsive scale seems to be negatively correlated to a number of personality disorders.

Differential effects of coping in mental disorders: A prospective study in psychiatric outpatients

The present follow-up study investigated the differential effects of dispositional coping styles on change in nine clinical syndromes of the Axis I spectrum of the DSM-III-R. Subjects were 155 psychiatric outpatients who were examined 6 and 7 years after their enrollment in the study. Coping accounted for up to 9% of the variance of symptom change over 1 year. As hypothesized, the effects of different coping styles varied considerably across the clinical syndromes. Active goal-oriented coping improved symptoms of the anxiety and the dependency spectrum; seeking social support had beneficial effects on symptoms of the depressive spectrum. The effects of the coping styles distraction, use of alcohol and other drugs, and focusing on and venting of emotions were detrimental, but again in a specific way. The results suggest that the differentiation of outcome criteria for coping is important.

A 6-year follow-up study of anxiety disorders in psychiatric outpatients: Development and continuity with personality disorders and personality traits as predictors

The aim of the study was to examine the clinical determinants of chronicity and development in new cases of anxiety disorders. Two hundred and eighty-four patients with different psychiatric diagnoses treated at an outpatient unit were followed up after a period of 6 years. Almost 40% of those with anxiety disorder on admission (131 patients) still had an anxiety disorder at follow up. Less than 10% of those without an anxiety disorder (153 patients) had developed an anxiety disorder. Social phobia appeared to be the most chronic, and generalized anxiety disorder the least chronic. Co-occurrence of different anxiety disorder predicted the chronicity of the specific anxiety disorder. One anxiety disorder often predicted the development of another anxiety disorder. Several personality disorders and personality traits predicted the chronicity and development of new anxiety disorders. Borderline, obsessive-compulsive, paranoid, self-defeating, and avoidant personality disorders were the most important long-te...

Basic character inventory personality traits among patients with major depression, anxiety disorders and mixed conditions

SummaryTwo hundred and seventy-two mainly nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients between 19 and 59 years of age were divided into various clinical groups according to DSM-III: pure major depression, major depression in combination with various anxiety disorders, pure anxiety disorders and a group with other mental disorders. The groups were compared as to differences in personality traits assessed by means of the Basic Character Inventory. The mixed major depression/non-panic anxiety disorder group appeared to be the most deviant with more oral-neurotic personality traits in addition to obsessive traits, while the pure major depressive disorder and the pure anxiety disorder group were less disturbed. Especially cases with non-panic-anxiety features in addition to major depression were those which manifested a neurotic obsessive personality structure. These findings imply that it is important to distinguish between major depression cases with and without various anxiety disorders.

Mood disorders: developmental and precipitating events.

A consecutive sample of 298 mainly non psychotic outpatients was classified according to DSM-III criteria. The differences in the reports from childhood and the precipitating events among the various subgroups of mood disorders (bipolar disorder, major depression, cyclothymic disorder, dysthymic disorder) and a residual group of patients with other mental disorders were examined. The patients in the non bipolar group reported more traumatic childhood experiences than the patients in the bipolar group. Precipitating events among patients in the group with major depression consisted more often of acute external stressors. Developmental factors and precipitating events in adulthood seem to be relevant in differentiating between the depressive disorders. The study supports the validity of the unipolar-bipolar distinction. The cyclothymic group seem to be a special variant of the major mood disorders.

Behandlung epileptischer Zustände bei psychiatrischen Krankheitsbildern

ZusammenfassungEs werden Erfahrungen mit dem neuen Antiepilepticum und Psychopharmakon Tegretal bei insgesamt 17 Patientinnen mit epileptischen Störungen und psychiatrischen Krankheitsbildern vorgelegt. Die Behandlung dauerte 1–3 Jahre bei einer Dosierung bis zu 1600 mg pro die. Die Nebenwirkungen waren gering. Das Mittel besitzt einen guten, wahrscheinlich unspezifischen, antikonvulsiven Effekt und übt eine harmoniesierende Wirkung auf die epileptiforme Charakteränderung aus. Dies zeigte sich in einer Besserung des psychischen Verhaltens und einer stabileren Stimmungslage. Die psychotrope Komponente ermöglichte eine erhöhte Resozialisierung der Patientinnen. Die pharmakotherapeutische Wirkung scheint in gewissem Maß an die Intaktheit cerebraler Funktion gekoppelt zu sein.Es werden Erfahrungen mit dem neuen Antiepilepticum und Psychopharmakon Tegretal bei insgesamt 17 Patientinnen mit epileptischen Storungen und psychiatrischen Krankheitsbildern vorgelegt. Die Behandlung dauerte 1–3 Jahre bei einer Dosierung bis zu 1600 mg pro die. Die Nebenwirkungen waren gering. Das Mittel besitzt einen guten, wahrscheinlich unspezifischen, antikonvulsiven Effekt und ubt eine harmoniesierende Wirkung auf die epileptiforme Charakteranderung aus. Dies zeigte sich in einer Besserung des psychischen Verhaltens und einer stabileren Stimmungslage. Die psychotrope Komponente ermoglichte eine erhohte Resozialisierung der Patientinnen. Die pharmakotherapeutische Wirkung scheint in gewissem Mas an die Intaktheit cerebraler Funktion gekoppelt zu sein.