Examining criterion a: DSM-5 level of personality functioning as assessed through life story interviews.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition alternative model for personality disorders offers a two-part definition of personality pathology, separating personality functioning from traits. The Level of Personality Functioning Scale (LPFS) from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition alternative model for personality disorders encapsulates the personality functioning criterion, and several methods have been used to assess it. Previous interview rating methods have overlapped with an assessment of personality traits and symptoms, biasing the assessment of functioning, and recently developed self-report instruments rely on the participant's awareness of their personality pathology. The purpose of the current analyses was to examine the reliability and validity of LPFS ratings based on open-ended, nondiagnostic interviews. The sample consisted of 162 community-dwelling, older adult participants from the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network. Undergraduate students rated video recordings of Life Story Interviews, using a 12-item version of the LPFS. One-way random, average measures intraclass correlation coefficient for the total LPFS was .80. A principal components analysis indicated that a single underlying dimension could characterize the LPFS. Component scores derived from this analysis demonstrated theoretically consistent associations with both normal-range and maladaptive personality traits. The component scores also contributed small but significant variance to the prediction of personality disorder symptoms, health, and functional outcomes over and above personality traits. These findings support the reliability and validity of the LPFS as assessed using Life Story Interviews and suggest that personality functioning ratings may have utility in predicting clinically relevant outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Personality Accounts for the Connection Between Volunteering and Health.

OBJECTIVES: Existing literature has shown that volunteering is related to better physical and mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine whether personality traits and volunteering are independent predictors of physical and mental health. METHODS: The current study utilizes data from the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN), a representative sample of community-based adults between the ages of 55 and 64. Using hierarchical linear regressions, we test whether volunteering is a significant predictor of both physical and mental health while controlling for personality traits. RESULTS: We find that volunteering is not significantly related to either physical or mental health while controlling for personality traits. We also find that lower neuroticism is related to better physical functioning and mental health, whereas higher extraversion is related to better mental health. DISCUSSION: These results indicate that volunteering may be related to health outcomes because of the personality characteristics of volunteers, not the volunteering experience in and of itself. Future longitudinal studies are needed to further explore the relationship between personality, volunteering, and health.