Stigmatization of drinking patients with liver cancer: The role of socioeconomic status.

Patients with liver cancer may face stigmatization due to cancer, alcohol consumption, or both. This study addresses gaps in the existing literature regarding stigmatization of alcohol-related liver cancer patients, particularly its connection with socioeconomic status (SES). The study explores whether the SES of a fictional character with alcohol addiction and liver cancer influences stigma levels reported by participants. Additionally, it investigates how participants' personal characteristics, such as alcohol consumption and healthcare professional status, impact stigmatization. This study aims to provide new insights regarding the role of stigmatization in liver cancer treatment and management, emphasizing in socioeconomic determinants. The method is based on three scenarios describing a woman character with alcohol abuse and liver cancer. The scenarios depicted a woman character with either low, medium or high SES. Each participant (N = 991) was randomly assigned to one of the three scenarios. After reading it, each participant answered questionnaires assessing negative attitudes towards the character. Four scales were used: "Negative attributions about people with health problems", "Causality of cancer", "Controllability of drinking" and "Reluctance to helping behavior". Data were analyzed using ANOVA and t-tests. The scenario describing a character with a low SES significantly received more "Negative attributions about people with health problems" than the character with medium or high SES. Participants having higher alcohol consumption themselves showed lower stigma scores for three out of four scales than participants with lower consumption. In addition, participants identified as health professionals had lower stigma scores regarding the scales "Negative attributions about people with health problems" and "Controllability of drinking", and higher scores for the subscale "Reluctance to helping behavior", compared with non-professionals. A character with low SES received more negative attributions than the one with higher SES. Participants' own alcohol consumption and professional status (being health professional or not), influenced their stigmatizing attitudes.

Factors influencing the acceptability of alcohol drinking for a patient with colorectal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer worldwide. One of the risk factors for the development of this type of cancer is alcohol consumption. Patients with colorectal cancer may be stigmatized regarding their cancer and regarding drinking behaviors they may exhibit. This study aimed to analyze community persons' and health professionals' acceptability judgments regarding alcohol drinkers having colorectal cancer. METHOD: This study relies on an experimental method enabling the identification of variables involved in one's judgment, based on the exhaustive combination of factors yielding several scenarios rated by participants. Scenarios implemented factors possibly influencing participants' perception of a woman character having colorectal cancer. Factors included her drinking habits, post-diagnosis drinking behavior and type of diagnosis/prognosis. The participants were community persons (N' = 132) or health professionals (N" = 126). Data were analyzed using a within-subject factorial ANOVA. RESULTS: In both samples, the "Post-diagnosis behavior" factor had large effect sizes, with drinking cessation being more acceptable than other drinking behaviors. Another factor, "Drinking habits", had significant influences on participants judgments, as higher drinking was considered less acceptable. A third factor, "Diagnosis" (polyps, early- or late-stage cancer), was taken into account by participants when it interacted with "Drinking habits" and "Post-diagnosis behavior". Indeed, participants considered most acceptable to continue drinking in the case of late-stage cancer, especially in the health professional sample where the acceptability of continuing drinking was almost doubled when the character had advanced- rather than early-cancer. CONCLUSION: The lesser the drinking behavior, the better the acceptability. However, advanced cancer stage attenuated the poor acceptability of drinking in both samples, as participants' attitudes were more permissive when the patient had advanced cancer.

Smoking Mostly Alone as a Risk Factor for Cannabis Use Disorders and Depressive Symptoms.

The empirically grounded etiological models of cannabis use already include a vast range of psychological factors (within an individual), paving the ground for individualized prevention and intervention programs. However, the interpersonal (among individuals) and relational variables influencing the emergence of excessive cannabis use are less understood. Particularly, the impact of consumption context (i.e., smoking alone or with others) on cannabis use intensity in youth remains to be clarified. We evaluated how smoking mostly alone modulates cannabis use disorders (CUD) and depressive symptoms in college students. A sample of 854 individuals from France (568 women, 286 men) who used cannabis in the last 6 months completed self-report questionnaires evaluating cannabis consumption, CUD symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Mostly alone users presented higher current use frequency as well as increased CUD and depressive symptoms compared to mostly social users. Smoking mostly alone remained positively correlated with CUD and depressive symptoms, even when controlling for current use frequency. The association between smoking mostly alone and depressive symptoms was significant before adjustment for symptoms of CUD. The loss of significance of this association after control reflected the mediating effects of symptoms of CUD on the relationship between smoking mostly alone and depressive symptoms. These results suggest that smoking mostly alone constitutes a risk factor for uncontrolled cannabis use and promote the relationship between cannabis use and depressive disorders, potentially through loneliness and social isolation. Longitudinal studies are required to identify the causal mechanisms underlying the links between smoking mostly alone, cannabis use and psychopathological disorders.

A comparative study of orthorexia between premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women.

PURPOSE: Studies suggested that menopause is a period of vulnerability for disordered eating behaviors, but whether menopause could be linked to orthorexia nervosa (ON) remains unexplored. METHODS: A sample composed of 709 women aged between 30 and 71 years (mean age = 43.08 years, SD = 9.24) answered self-administered questionnaires assessing ON (Düsseldorfer Orthorexia Skala, DOS), body image, self-esteem, and psychopathological symptoms. The sample included a Premenopause group of 441 women reporting regular menses, a Perimenopause group of 94 women reporting the recent onset of amenorrhea or menstrual irregularities, and a Postmenopause group of 174 women reporting amenorrhea of natural onset for more than 12 months. RESULTS: Group comparison using analysis of covariance with age as covariate showed that ON scores were statistically higher in the two groups of participants dealing with menopause (Peri- and Postmenopause) when compared with women not yet concerned by menopause (Premenopause). A Kendall's tau-b correlation performed between the menopausal status (Pre, Peri, or Postmenopause) and DOS categories (No ON; At risk of ON; Presence of ON) showed a weak but statistically significant positive correlation between the menopausal group and DOS categories (tau-b = 0.136, p < 0.001). In addition, Fisher's exact tests indicated that the percentages of participants in the "At risk of ON" and "Presence of ON" categories were statistically higher in the Postmenopause group in comparison with the Premenopause group (p < 0.001). Depressive symptoms were statistically higher in the Peri- and Post-groups, while anxiety symptoms were stronger in the Peri-group when compared with the Pre-group. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows an increase of ON in women concerned with menopause, suggesting the existence of a relationship between menopause and ON. Further studies are necessary to identify factors involved in this association. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Descriptive (cross-sectional) study, level V.

Distinguishing between healthy and pathological orthorexia: a cluster analytic study.

PURPOSE: This study represents a first attempt to explore the typology of female adults from a large non-clinical sample based on healthy orthorexia (HO) and pathological orthorexia (orthorexia nervosa, ON). METHODS: 1245 female adults (Mage = 38.04, SD = 9.73) completed a set of questionnaires assessing orthorexic behaviors, intuitive eating, self-esteem, perceived social support as well as eating disorders, depressive and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: Cluster analysis based on HO and ON scores yielded 4 distinct groups: "Healthy orthorexia cluster" (HO), "Orthorexia Nervosa cluster" (ON), "Low Orthorexia cluster" (LO) and "In-between Orthorexia cluster" (IBO). The HO and ON clusters represented individuals with, respectively, healthy and pathological interest in healthy diet. The LO cluster represented those with no particular interest in healthy eating and the IBO cluster showed that ON and HO behaviors can be associated in some individuals. Among all clusters, the ON cluster displayed highest levels of ED, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Inversely, the HO cluster displayed highest levels of intuitive eating, self-esteem and perceived social support. CONCLUSION: Altogether, findings from this study support the bidimensional structure of orthorexic eating behavior and further suggest that ON and HO behaviors can be associated in some individuals. Our findings further provide evidence for the assumption that ON and HO could be seen, respectively, as maladaptive and protective eating behaviors. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V, descriptive study.

Not all personal definitions of healthy eating are linked to orthorexic behaviors among French college women. A cluster analysis study.

PURPOSE: This study represents a first attempt to explore the typology of French female young adults based on personal definitions of healthy eating and to examine inter-group differences regarding their tendencies towards Orthorexia Nervosa (ON), eating disordered (ED) and obsessive-compulsive (OC) behaviors. METHOD: 362 female adults (Mage = 23.43, SD = 3.82) completed a 40-item questionnaire assessing personal definitions of healthy eating, the Eating Habits Questionnaire, the Eating-Disorders Inventory-3 and the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis yielded 6 factors for healthy eating definitions: "Health benefits", "Politico-ecological", "Restriction", "Pleasure", "Socio-cultural" and "Dietary avoidance". Cluster analysis based on these factors identified 3 distinct groups: "Self & Environment aware " (SEA), "Restrictive-Avoidant" (RA) and "Sociable-Pleasure seeking" (SP). The SEA cluster emphasized the "Health benefits", "Politico-ecological" and "Dietary avoidance" factors while defining healthy eating. The RA cluster highlighted the "Restriction" and "Dietary avoidance" factors while the SP cluster mainly emphasized the "Pleasure" and "Socio-cultural" factors. Compared to all other clusters, the SEA cluster displayed greater scores in ON behaviors. The RA cluster displayed greater scores in ED behaviors compared to SP cluster. No significant difference was found between clusters regarding OC behaviors. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study suggest that ON behaviors can vary depending on personal definitions of healthy eating. They further indicate that the definitions of healthy eating related to ON behaviors are largely different from those related to ED and OC behaviors. This study offers considerable support for the possibility of ON being a distinct condition from ED and OC behaviors.

Psychometric evaluation of the French version of the Düsseldorfer Orthorexia Skala (DOS) and prevalence of orthorexia nervosa among university students.

PURPOSE: This study aimed at obtaining a French version of the DOS (F-DOS) and evaluating its psychometric properties in a sample of university students, then assessing the prevalence of orthorexic eating behavior among the participants. METHODS: The F-DOS was obtained using back translation, and then administered to 3235 university students (10.32% men, 89.67% women) with a mean age of 21.13 (SD = 2.23). The Eating Habits Questionnaire and Eating Attitudes Test were used to assess convergent and divergent validities, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to explore the factor structure. RESULTS: Ordinal ⍵ of F-DOS was 0.87, indicating very good internal consistency. F-DOS and EHQ total scores were strongly correlated (rs = 0.74, p < 0.001), indicating very good construct validity. Factor analysis revealed a well-fitted one-factor model. Regarding Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) prevalence, according to DOS cut-off score, 3.28% of participants could be considered having ON, while an additional 11.31% could be at risk of developing ON. CONCLUSIONS: The F-DOS appears to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess orthorexic eating behavior. ON prevalence in college students appeared similar to Germany and lower than in the US. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Descriptive (cross-sectional) study, Level V.

Personality profiles in young adults with orthorexic eating behaviors.

PURPOSE: Orthorexia nervosa (ON), defined as an excessive preoccupation with healthy eating, has gained more interest in the literature over these past few years. However, little is known about its risk and protective factors, in particular with regards to personality. METHODS: A total of 3235 college students (10.32% men, 89.67% women) with a mean age of 21.13 (SD = 2.23) answered self-administered questionnaires assessing ON, psychopathological symptoms, and personality disorders including schizotypal, borderline, paranoid, obsessive-compulsive, and narcissistic personality. A subsample of 106 participants (91.51% women, mean age = 20.91, SD = 2.31) was selected based on the DOS cutoff score, and was then considered as the "orthorexic subsample". RESULTS: Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed in the orthorexic subsample and led to the identification of four groups: 1-a cluster with a low level of traits (L); 2-a cluster with moderate traits and low narcissistic traits (MD); 3-a cluster with a low level of traits and moderate narcissistic traits (MN); 4-a cluster with high paranoid and narcissistic traits (PN) and a moderate level of schizotypal and borderline traits. Levels of anxiety, obsessional-compulsive, and depressive symptoms were higher in the PN and MD clusters than in the L and MN clusters. Social phobia was higher and self-esteem lower in the MD cluster and hypochondriasis was higher in the PN and MN clusters. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that ON can be associated with different personality profiles, some of them displaying significant psychopathological levels. It also emphasizes the importance of taking into account personality disorder traits of young adults with orthorexic eating behaviors. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Descriptive (cross-sectional) study, Level V.

Distinguishing orthorexic behaviors from eating disordered and obsessive-compulsive behaviors: a typological study.

PURPOSE: This study represents a first attempt to explore the typology of young adults from a large non-clinical sample based on orthorexic (ON), eating disordered (ED) and obsessive-compulsive behaviors (OCD). METHODS: 921 individuals (Mage = 20.72, SD = 2.63), 84.6% women (n = 780) and 15.3% men (n = 141), completed a set of questionnaires assessing ON, ED, OCD behaviors and body image attitudes. RESULTS: Cluster analysis based on ON, ED and OCD behaviors yielded four clearly distinct groups: a "Low" group that was below the sample mean for all behaviors, an "Orthorexic behaviors" group, an "Eating disordered behaviors" and an "Obsessive-compulsive behaviors" group with, respectively, mean scores on ON, ED and OCD behaviors that all were all above the sample means. Using ANOVA, these groups were compared regarding body image attitudes, self-reported BMI, age and educational level. Results show that all clusters differed from each other on virtually all variables. And compared with all other clusters, the "Orthorexic behaviors" cluster displayed greater scores in health and fitness-related aspects of body image. It also differed from the "Eating disordered behaviors" cluster, by its higher scores in appearance evaluation, body areas satisfaction and lower scores in self-classified weight. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the existence of a distinct group of individuals with orthorexic behaviors and its positive body image attitudes and offers significant support for the possibility of ON being a distinct condition from ED and OCD. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, descriptive study.

Does sex influence the network structure of psychopathy?

Sex-specific manifestations of psychopathy remain highly debated both at the dimensional and structural levels. The network theory provides a promising framework for investigating this question. Thus, our study aimed to explore the network structure of psychopathy across sex. Participants were 1,990 college students (male: 43%, female: 57%) who received the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment-Short Form. We first estimated a Gaussian Graphical Model including the 18 Elemental Psychopathy Assessment-Short Form facets, separately for men and women. We then computed centrality indices (i.e., strength and expected influence) and predictability and finally conducted a bootstrapping procedure to assess the accuracy of edge weights and the stability of the centrality indices. The results of the network comparison test provide support for the stability of the network structure of psychopathic traits across sex. Self-Centeredness was the most central trait in the two networks, followed by Unconcern, Rashness, and Anger for women and by Callousness, Unconcern, and Rashness for men. Minor sex differences and future directions are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Heterogeneity of adaptive features among psychopathy variants.

Psychopathic personality traits can be conceptualized as a complex network of adaptive and maladaptive traits. Although general positive adjustment has been related to primary psychopathy and increased emotional stability, no study focused on the distribution of specific adaptive traits through psychopathy variants. Participants were 2,291 French college students who completed self-report questionnaires. A cluster analysis, based on a 4-factor model of psychopathy (Antagonism, Narcissism, Disinhibition, and Emotional Stability), was performed on a subsample with increased psychopathic traits (n = 378) and yielded 3 distinct groups: a primary psychopathy cluster, a secondary psychopathy cluster, and an emotionally stable-low antagonism cluster. The primary psychopathy cluster displayed the highest scores of Leadership, Logical Thinking, Focus, Management, and Money Smart, whereas the emotionally stable-low antagonism cluster had the highest scores of Composure and Extraversion. Conversely, the secondary psychopathy cluster exhibited reduced adaptive psychopathic traits. These results suggest that adaptive psychopathic traits are inconsistently distributed between psychopathy subtypes. Interaction effects between main factors of psychopathy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Borderline and schizotypal traits in college students: Relationship and personality profiles.

The relationships between borderline and schizotypal traits are still debated. Borderline traits, schizotypal traits, and several psychopathological symptoms were assessed among 2,341 college students. A factor analysis was performed on borderline and schizotypal personality measures, leading to 10 factors. Borderline factors were largely intercorrelated, as were schizotypal factors. Moreover, borderline factors were weakly to largely correlated to schizotypal factors. Five factors were very strongly correlated (r > .50). Dissociation was strongly related to Odd Beliefs/Unusual Perceptive Experiences and Anxious-Depressive factors. Social Anxiety was strongly related to Suspiciousness. Based on these 10 factors, a cluster analysis was conducted, and resulted in four clearly distinct groups: a Low Traits cluster, a Narcissistic cluster, a Social Anxiety cluster, and a High Traits cluster. This High Traits cluster had the lowest levels of academic achievement and the highest levels of internalizing behaviors and externalizing behaviors. The clinical implications of the results are discussed.

Personality disorder traits in young adults with subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms: Not just traits related to obsessive- compulsive personality.

Research is scarce regarding personality disorder traits of individuals with subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Cluster analysis based on obsessional, schizotypal, and borderline personality and autism-spectrum features was conducted on the results for 118 students scoring above cutoff on the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised. This identified four groups: O, L, S, and A. One third of the sample was represented by individuals with obsessional traits (O), while another third was composed of individuals with low traits (L); the last two profiles corresponded to a cluster with autistic traits (A) and a group with schizotypal and borderline features (S), both clusters together comprising the remaining third. Significant differences were observed between groups, both on personality traits and on psychopathological symptoms. The S cluster displayed the highest scores of suicidality, depression, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. This study identified meaningful profiles of personality disorder traits, distinct from obsessive-compulsive personality, in individuals with subclinical obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

To Better Understand the Link between Psychopathy and Antisocial Behavior: Moderation by Dispositional Mindfulness.

BACKGROUND: Dispositional mindfulness deficits and psychopathic personality traits have been shown to be closely associated and independent predictors of antisocial behaviors (AB) in young adults. However, the interaction effects of these 2 factors have not yet been explored. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of dispositional mindfulness and psychopathic traits to ABs in a college student sample. METHODS: Participants were 1,572 students from different French universities who completed self-report questionnaires. Regression analyses were conducted in order to test a moderation model between psychopathic traits and AB. RESULTS: Moderation analyses revealed that dispositional mindfulness interacted with psychopathic personality traits in predicting AB. In males with high levels of dispositional mindfulness, as psychopathic traits increased, AB increased less than in males with low levels of dispositional mindfulness. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests possible implications for prevention and treatment of AB among non-clinical young adults with relatively high psychopathic traits.

Body image, satisfaction with sexual life, self-esteem, and anxiodepressive symptoms: A comparative study between premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women.

Menopause is an important life transition in women, and it is associated with significant physical and psychological changes. This study aimed at examining how the menopausal transition influences body image and satisfaction with sexual life. To this aim, body image dissatisfaction, sexual dissatisfaction, and self-esteem were compared in three groups of women with distinct menopausal status (premenopausal n = 142, perimenopausal n = 66, or postmenopausal n = 149), while controlling for depressive and anxiety symptoms and BMI. Using ANOVA between these three groups, we observed that dissatisfaction with body image was significantly higher in the perimenopausal sample compared with its premenopausal counterpart. In the postmenopausal sample, body image improved, as this group displayed body image scores close to the premenopausal level. In addition, sexual dissatisfaction was significantly increased in the perimenopausal and postmenopausal samples, which is compatible with the concept that higher body appreciation positively predicted sexual function. We conclude that body image dissatisfaction reaches a maximum during the perimenopausal phase, before returning to a level nearly identical between the premenopausal and the postmenopausal phases.

Could schizotypy protect against the negative outcomes of borderline traits on alcohol consumption? A cluster analytic study.

Schizotypal and borderline personality traits seem to be differently associated to alcohol use in young adult. However, no study has explored co-occurring schizotypal and borderline traits in their link with alcohol consumption. Participants were 1572 students from different French universities who completed self-report questionnaires assessing these three dimensions. A cluster analysis based on the borderline and schizotypal traits scores yielded four distinct groups characterized by low schizotypal and borderline traits (LT), high borderline traits (HB), high schizotypal and borderline traits (HT) and high schizotypal traits (HS). The HS cluster had significantly lower alcohol use than the other three groups. LT and HT clusters did not differ significantly in their alcohol use. Comparison between clusters suggests that schizotypal traits may be protective against the negative impact of borderline traits on alcohol consumption. In the context of a co-occurrence between borderline and schizotypal traits, this study provides important information about their link with alcohol consumption.

The co-occurrence of autistic traits and borderline personality disorder traits is associated to increased suicidal ideation in nonclinical young adults.

BACKGROUND: The co-occurrence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is not rare and has been linked to increased suicidality. Despite this significant comorbidity between ASD and BPD, no study had examined the co-occurrence of autistic traits and borderline personality disorder traits in the general population. The aim of the present study was to examine the co-occurrence of autistic and borderline traits in a non-clinical sample of young adults and its influence on the levels of suicidal ideation and depressive symptomatology. PROCEDURES: Participants were 474 college students who completed self-report questionnaires. Data were analysed using correlation and cluster analyses. MAIN FINDINGS: Borderline personality traits and autistic traits were weakly correlated. However, cluster analysis yielded four groups: a low traits group, a borderline traits group, an autistic traits group, and a group characterized by high levels of both traits. Cluster analysis revealed that autistic and borderline traits can co-occur in a significant proportion of young adults. The high autistic and borderline traits group constituted 17% of the total sample and had higher level of suicidal ideation than the borderline traits group, despite similar levels of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: This result suggests that the higher suicidality observed in patients with comorbid ASD and BPD may extent to non-clinical individuals with high levels of co-occurrent autistic and borderline traits.

The healthy side of positive schizotypy may reflect positive self-report biases

The concept of healthy schizotypy, characterized by positive schizotypy symptoms in the absence of negative or disorganized schizotypy, raises questions regarding whether the contrast between its healthy appearance and its relatively high level of impairment might be due to self-reported advantages. Using cluster analysis, we aimed at typifying a positive schizotypy group in a large nonclinical sample of young adults to examine its association with depressive symptoms, cannabis use, academic performance, well-being and serendipity, while controlling for variables inducing positive self-report biases: self-deceptive denial, wishful thinking, social desirability and narcissistic traits. We thus identified a pure positive schizotypy cluster (P) and a positive and disorganized cluster (PD) which had the highest level of the positive factor. Both clusters were characterized by a contrast between a high level of well-being, life satisfaction and self-reported serendipity (similar to a low schizotypy cluster) with elevated level of impairment markers (lower academic performance, higher depressive symptoms and cannabis use), comparable with clusters high in negative schizotypy. Moreover P and PD had elevated levels of variables susceptible to induce positive self-report biases (denial, wishful thinking, social desirability, narcissistic traits), while the clusters high in negative schizotypy had lower levels. We conclude that the relative high level of well-being and life satisfaction observed in groups with elevated positive and low negative schizotypy may in fact be linked to positive self-report biases (AU)

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Typology of schizotypy in non-clinical young adults: Psychopathological and personality disorder traits correlates.

Few typological studies address schizotypy in young adults. Schizotypal traits were assessed on 466 college students using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B). Other measures evaluated personality traits previously associated with schizotypy (borderline, obsessionnal, and autistic traits), psychopathological symptoms (suicidal ideations, depressive and obsessive-compulsive symptoms) and psychosocial functioning. A factor analysis was first performed on SPQ-B results, leading to four factors: negative schizotypy, positive schizotypy, social anxiety, and reference ideas. Based on these factors, a cluster analysis was conducted, which yielded four clearly distinct groups characterized by "Low" (non schizotypy), "High schizotypy" (mixed positive and negative), "Positive schizotypy", and "Social impairment". Regarding personality disorder traits and psychopathological symptoms, the "High schizotypy" cluster scored higher than the "Positive" and the "Social impairment" groups, which scored higher than the "Low" cluster. The "Positive" group had higher levels of interpersonal relationships than in the "High" and the "Social impairment" clusters, suggesting that positive schizotypy was associated to benefits such as perceived social relationships. Nevertheless the "Positive" cluster was also linked to high levels of personality disorder traits and psychopathological symptoms, and to low academic achievement, at levels similar those observed in the "Social impairment" cluster, confirming an unhealthy side to positive schizotypy.

Personality profiles in young adults with disordered eating behavior.

Personality traits are closely related to eating disorders (ED) and might be involved in their development and maintenance. Nevertheless little is known regarding the association between personality traits and disordered eating in subclinical populations. College students answered questionnaires assessing disordered eating behaviors (DEB) and the following personality disorder (PD) traits: schizotypal, autistic, obsessional, borderline and cyclothymic. Participants with DEB (n=101, 87% women) displayed significantly higher scores for several variables including schizotypy, cyclothymic, borderline and obsessional traits compared to other participants (n=378). Cluster analysis in the DEB subsample led to the identification of three groups: 1) a cluster with a high level of traits (HT); 2) a cluster scoring high on schizotypal, borderline and cyclothymic traits (SBC); 3) a cluster with a low level of traits (LT). Symptoms of depression, suicidal ideations, trait anger and obsessive-compulsive symptoms were higher in the HT and the SBC clusters compared to the LT cluster. Given that two thirds of participants suffering from DEB appeared to display a morbid personality profile, it appears of prime importance to take into account PD traits of individuals with DEB.