Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, personality disorders and the alternative model: Prediction of naturalistically observed behavior, interpersonal functioning, and psychiatric symptoms, 1 year later.

Traditional personality disorders (PDs; e.g., Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition [DSM-5] Section II PDs), as well as dimensional traits (e.g., alternative model for PD [AMPD]), offer unique advantages in personality pathology assessment. However, very little is known about how these systems compare in predicting observable behavior. This study compares self-report ratings of PD symptoms (i.e., Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV PD) with self-reports of AMPD traits (i.e., Personality Inventory for DSM-5) in predicting clinical outcomes, 1 year later, via three different methods: (a) naturalistically observed psychosocial functioning (i.e., electronically activated recorder [EAR]), (b) informant-reported interpersonal functioning (i.e., Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-32), and (c) self-reported suicidality (SI), depression, anxiety, and substance use symptoms (i.e., Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire). Data were analyzed from 72 individuals in current or recent psychiatric treatment meeting diagnosis for at least one PD. Results showed that DSM Section II PD and AMPD ratings yielded meaningful and comparable predictions of naturalistically observed EAR variables and informant-rated interpersonal functioning. The AMPD appeared to offer slight advantages in the prediction of EAR-observed negative affect, hostile words, and informant-rated interpersonal functioning, with clearer advantages at the facet level. Overall, these results provide tentative evidence that both DSM Section II PD and AMPD systems show meaningful links with clinical outcomes measured via multiple methods 1 year later, but with clearer advantages for the AMPD at the facet level. Moreover, results show that the EAR is a viable method for capturing naturalistically observed clinically meaningful, in vivo behavior of individuals exhibiting maladaptive personality patterns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The structure of antagonism: A hierarchical model of self- and interview-rated psychopathology.

Recent initiatives in the empirically based classification of psychopathology, namely, the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP), have made significant strides in addressing the limitations of traditional taxonomies (i.e., Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, International Classification of Diseases). The current study aimed to extend this work by helping to clarify the lower order structure of an understudied dimension of psychopathology-antagonism (i.e., HiTOP antagonistic externalizing spectrum)-a core feature of many externalizing disorders and related to important outcomes such as interpersonal problems, childhood conduct problems, and incarceration. We examined the hierarchical structure of several measures of antagonistic externalizing features across both self-report and clinical interview ratings for 2,279 community participants with a diverse range of personality pathology (~75% with a personality disorder) and antagonistic behaviors (~30% with intermittent explosive disorder). Exploratory structural equation modeling was used to account for the shared variance between variables within self-report and interview methods. Results revealed an optimal lower order structure consisting of six factors labeled Antisociality, Anger, Hostility, Narcissism, Mistrust, and Attention Seeking. Factor scores yielded expected relations with self-report and interview ratings of psychopathology, personality, and childhood trauma. Implications for future research in classification and treatment of psychopathology are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Comparison of self-report and clinician-rated schizotypal traits in schizotypal personality disorder and community controls.

Given the common use of self-report questionnaires to assess schizotypy in personality pathology and schizophrenia research, it is important to determine the concordance between self-report and clinician ratings. 250 individuals with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) and 116 community controls (CTR) were assessed on schizotypal traits using a clinical interview, the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality disorders (SIDP), and a self-report questionnaire, the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). Ordinal logistic regressions examined concordance between self-reported and clinician-rated scores in CTR and SPD separately. Analyses of variance examined how the SPQ performed on differentiating between CTR with low schizotypy, CTR with high schizotypy, and SPD. For both CTR and SPD, higher SPQ subscale scores were significantly associated with higher clinician ratings on the respective SIDP items for the Ideas of Reference, Magical Thinking, Unusual Perceptual Experience, Suspiciousness, and Social Anxiety items, but not the Odd Speech or Limited Affect items. Higher SPQ subscale scores for Odd Behavior and Lack of Close Friends were significantly associated with the clinician-rated SIDP item scores in CTR but not SPD. CTR with low schizotypy scored lower on all SPQ subscales than CTR with high schizotypy, who did not differ from SPD. Self-report ratings are concordant with clinician ratings for positive schizotypal traits, whereas certain disorganization and interpersonal traits are not, particularly for individuals with SPD. The SPQ can differentiate between high and low schizotypy controls, but not between high schizotypy controls and individuals with SPD. Assessment of schizotypal traits should include both self-report questionnaires and clinician ratings.

Incremental Validity of the DSM-5 Section III Personality Disorder Traits With Respect to Psychosocial Impairment.

Traditional personality disorders (PDs) are associated with significant psychosocial impairment. DSM-5 Section III includes an alternative hybrid personality disorder (PD) classification approach, with both type and trait elements, but relatively little is known about the impairments associated with Section III traits. Our objective was to study the incremental validity of Section III traits--compared to normal-range traits, traditional PD criterion counts, and common psychiatric symptomatology--in predicting psychosocial impairment. To that end, 628 current/recent psychiatric patients completed measures of PD traits, normal-range traits, traditional PD criteria, psychiatric symptomatology, and psychosocial impairments. Hierarchical regressions revealed that Section III PD traits incrementally predicted psychosocial impairment over normal-range personality traits, PD criterion counts, and common psychiatric symptomatology. In contrast, the incremental effects for normal-range traits, PD symptom counts, and common psychiatric symptomatology were substantially smaller than for PD traits. These findings have implications for PD classification and the impairment literature more generally.

Changes in Psychological Health and Subjective Well-Being Among Incarcerated Individuals With Serious Mental Illness.

While improving the psychological health and well-being of individuals with serious mental illness can help reduce emotional distress and increase resilience, not enough is known about the well-being of incarcerated individuals with mental illness. Using the Schwartz Outcome Scale-10, the authors examined changes in subjective well-being and its association with other clinical symptoms and personality features in 43 mentally ill inmates in a large jail. All participants demonstrated significant improvement in general psychopathology and negative emotions. For well-being, however, different trajectories were associated with high versus low baseline ratings. Furthermore, those in the high well-being group were more likely to show features of aggression, dominance, hostility, mania, and more positive affect. These findings suggest that the level of well-being among inmates with serious mental illness may be an early indicator of personality features, clinical changes, and resilience, which is essential knowledge required when completing effective treatment planning.

Stability of the DSM-5 Section III pathological personality traits and their longitudinal associations with psychosocial functioning in personality disordered individuals.

This study was conducted to establish (a) the stability of the DSM-5 Section III personality disorder (PD) traits, (b) whether these traits predict future psychosocial functioning, and (c) whether changes in traits track with changes in psychosocial functioning across time. Ninety-three outpatients (61% female) diagnosed with at least 1 PD completed patient-report measures at 2 time-points (M time between assessments = 1.44 years), including the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 and several measures of psychosocial functioning. Effect sizes of rank-order and mean-level change were calculated. In addition, Time 1 traits were used to predict functioning measures at Time 2. Finally, latent change score models were estimated for DSM-5 Section III traits and functioning measures, and correlations among latent change scores were calculated to establish the relationship between change in traits and functional outcomes. Findings demonstrated that the DSM-5 Section III traits were highly stable in terms of normative (i.e., mean-level) change and rank-order stability over the course of the study. Furthermore, traits prospectively predicted psychosocial functioning. However, at the individual level traits and functioning were not entirely static over the study, and change in individuals' functioning tracked with changes in trait levels. These findings demonstrate that the DSM-5 Section III traits are highly stable consistent with the definition of PD, prospectively predictive of psychosocial functioning, and are dynamically associated with functioning over time. This study provides important evidence in support of the DSM-5 Section III PD model.

Prediction of daily ratings of psychosocial functioning: can ratings of personality disorder traits and functioning be distinguished?

Current categorical and dimensional conceptualizations of personality disorder (PD) typically confound pathological PD traits with distress and impairment (dysfunction). The current study examines whether dimensions of personality pathology and psychosocial dysfunction can be psychometrically distinguished. To that end, we collected self-report ratings of personality pathology and dysfunction at baseline, along with daily ratings of dysfunctional behavior, over 10 consecutive days. Correlations revealed substantial overlap between traits and dysfunction measured at baseline. However, follow-up hierarchical regressions revealed that baseline dysfunction ratings incrementally predicted daily dysfunction ratings after accounting for personality trait ratings, suggesting that traits and dysfunction are at least partially differentiable. However, the incremental effects were stronger for some dysfunction domains (i.e., Self-Mastery and Basic Functioning) than for others (Well-Being and Interpersonal), suggesting that maladaptive trait measures are more confounded with the latter types of impairment. These findings suggest that distinguishing maladaptive PD traits from functioning in PD classification systems is likely more difficult than would be expected, a finding that has important implications for the competing Section II and Section III conceptualizations of PD presented in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.

Development and validation of Big Four personality scales for the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality--Second Edition (SNAP-2).

Recently, integrative, hierarchical models of personality and personality disorder (PD)--such as the Big Three, Big Four, and Big Five trait models--have gained support as a unifying dimensional framework for describing PD. However, no measures to date can simultaneously represent each of these potentially interesting levels of the personality hierarchy. To unify these measurement models psychometrically, we sought to develop Big Five trait scales within the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality--Second Edition (SNAP-2). Through structural and content analyses, we examined relations between the SNAP-2, the Big Five Inventory (BFI), and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) ratings in a large data set (N = 8,690), including clinical, military, college, and community participants. Results yielded scales consistent with the Big Four model of personality (i.e., Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Introversion, and Antagonism) and not the Big Five, as there were insufficient items related to Openness. Resulting scale scores demonstrated strong internal consistency and temporal stability. Structural validity and external validity were supported by strong convergent and discriminant validity patterns between Big Four scale scores and other personality trait scores and expectable patterns of self-peer agreement. Descriptive statistics and community-based norms are provided. The SNAP-2 Big Four Scales enable researchers and clinicians to assess personality at multiple levels of the trait hierarchy and facilitate comparisons among competing big-trait models.