Psychometric properties of an informant personality questionnaire (the HAP) in a sample of older adults in the Netherlands and Belgium.

In geriatric psychiatry, informant reports are often important due to cognitive problems and related impaired insight and judgment. Informant questionnaires to identify personality traits among older adults are sparse. The Dutch informant personality questionnaire (the HAP) is especially developed to address this need. The objective of this study is the psychometric evaluation of the HAP among older adults in the Netherlands and Belgium. We investigated the internal consistency, gender differences, the test-retest and inter-rater reliability, the factorial structure, and the concurrent validity. Informants completed the HAP ratings of nursing home residents (n = 385) and elderly psychiatric patients (n = 204). The internal consistency of the scales is good. Medium gender differences on three scales were found in the population Psychiatry. The inter-rater and test-retest reliability are good to excellent. There are significant similarities between a number of HAP scales and dimensions of the Big Five. The congruence between the factor structures in both samples is very high. We labeled the three factors externalizing/antagonistic, internalizing/neurotic, and compulsive. The HAP meets the need for validated and reliable informant instruments for personality assessment among older adults in geriatric psychiatry. The content scales of the questionnaire address traits of the premorbid personality. Therefore, the HAP might be useful for personality assessment and selecting treatment options in mental healthcare and can be applied in scientific research in the area of personality aspects in late life.

[Personality disorders in older adults: a Delphi-study conducted among Dutch and Belgian experts concerning specific diagnostic and therapeutic aspects]. / Persoonlijkheidsstoornissen bij ouderen: delphi-onderzoek onder Nederlandse en Vlaamse experts over specifieke diagnostische en therapeutische aspecten.

BACKGROUND: In psychiatry for older adults (> 60 years) personality disorders play an important part in diagnosis and treatment and in the advice given to health professionals and carers on how to deal with this age group. So far, however, research in this area has been inadequate. AIM: To investigate age-related diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of personality disorders occurring in adults over the age of 60. METHOD: A Delphi-study was conducted among 35 Dutch and Belgian experts in the field of personality disorders in older adults. This multidisciplinary panel consisted of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, geriatricians and psychiatric nurses. In four rounds 21 gerontological statements to be assessed on a 5-point Likert scale were presented to the panel of experts. Agreement was said to be reached when at least two thirds of the experts agreed or fully agreed with a statement.RESULTS Satisfactory agreement was reached in the case of 20 of the 21 diagnostic and/or therapeutic statements about older adults with personality disorders. CONCLUSION There seem to be various age-specific aspects in the diagnosis and treatment of personality disorders in older adults. Therefore, it is advisable to pay more attention to this highly complex group of older adults when guidelines and protocols are being drawn up and scientific research is being planned or conducted.