Personality profiles and minor affective psychopathology in a non-clinical sample: An empirical verification of Cloninger's theoretical model
Received 20 June 2008; received in revised form 23 February 2009; accepted 3 March 2009.
Abstract
Background
Psychopathological vulnerability may be related to certain personality traits. The aim of this study was to explore the association of minor affective psychopathology and the regular use of psychotropic medication with temperament and character profiles from Cloninger's personality model, in a sample of active professional people.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included 498 non-clinical subjects, teachers in a local school system. Instruments used included the self-administered General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) to measure psychiatric morbidity; the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) to measure depressive symptoms; documentation of regular use of psychotropic medication; and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-125) for personality traits self-assessment.
Results
The proportion of subjects presenting psychiatric morbidity (GHQ-28>6) or depressive symptoms (CES-D>20) was significantly higher among explosive, passive–aggressive, and obsessional temperament profiles, and among schizotypal, moody, melancholic and dependent character profiles. Similar results were observed with the scores on each of the four GHQ-28 subscales (depression, anxiety, social dysfunction, and somatic symptoms). The regular use of psychotropic medications was significantly higher among the passive–aggressive and explosive temperament types, and among the schizoptypal and moody character types.
Limitations
Being a cross-sectional study, no causal attributions can be inferred. Subjects on sick leave were excluded, so the sample was not representative of the general population. The data were collected using self-reporting questionnaires, and no specific psychiatric diagnoses were obtained.
Conclusions
It is possible to identify certain personality configurations associated with minor psychopathology and concomitant use of psychotropics, among active professional people.
aPsychiatry and Neurosciences Research Group (CTS-549), Institute of Neurosciences, Center for Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
bDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
cDepartment of Statistics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
dDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
ABSTRACT