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Aim: The aim of this study was to identify women with thoughts of self‐harm preceded by suicidal ideation, during the perinatal period, on cluster analysis and to clarify their psychological correlates. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted using the data from a longitudinal study involving 18 obstetric clinics between 2011 and 2012 in Kumamoto Prefecture (Japan). Self‐administered questionnaires including demographic data, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Temperament and Character Inventory, and the Postnatal Bonding Questionnaire were distributed during the third trimester of pregnancy (wave 1), at 5 days (wave 2), and 1 month postpartum (wave 3). Results: On cluster analysis using the data of participants who answered all observational points, the participants were divided into two groups: cluster 1, normal (n = 201); and cluster 2, thoughts of self‐harm (n = 42). Low self‐directedness, low cooperativeness, higher anxiety, depression, and lack of affection and anger and rejection towards the baby were associated with cluster 2. Conclusions: The finding that low self‐directedness and low cooperativeness were related to the cluster 2 group suggests that immature personality traits may work as a predisposing factor mediating between anxiety, depression and thoughts of self‐harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We aimed to investigate the hypotheses that hyperthymic temperament may be positively associated with self‐directedness and self‐transcendence with adjustment for relevant factors. Methods: Using the database of our previous studies, the data from 111 healthy subjects with scores for both the Temperament and Character Inventory and the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire were secondarily used for the present study. Results: Hyperthymic Temperament scores were significantly and positively associated with Self‐Transcendence scores, but not with Self‐Directedness scores, following adjustment for relevant factors. Despite the lack of association between self‐transcendence and self‐directedness, cooperativeness was significantly and positively associated with self‐transcendence and self‐directedness, but not with hyperthymic temperament. Moreover, despite the lack of association between hyperthymic temperament and self‐directedness, harm avoidance was significantly and negatively associated with hyperthymic temperament and self‐directedness, but not with self‐transcendence. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that hyperthymic temperament may be positively associated with self‐transcendence, but not with self‐directedness. Moreover, hyperthymic temperament may be, a selfish and reckless trait, self‐transcendence may be altruistic and not reckless, and self‐directedness may be altruistic but reckless. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess lifetime substance abuse, family history of alcohol abuse/dependence, and novelty seeking in three different eating disorder groups (anorexia nervosa–restrictive; anorexia nervosa–binge eating/purging; anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa). Method: A total sample of 371 eating disorder patients participated in the current study. Assessment measures included the prevalence of substance abuse and family history of alcohol abuse/dependence as well as the novelty-seeking subscale of the Temperament and Character Inventory–Revised. Results: Significant differences across groups were detected for lifetime substance abuse, with anorexia nervosa–restrictive individuals exhibiting a significant lower prevalence than the anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa–binge eating/ purging patients ( P < 0.01). For family history of alcohol abuse/dependence the same pattern was observed ( P = 0.04). Novelty seeking was associated with substance abuse ( P = 0.002), with the anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa group exhibiting significantly higher scores on the novelty-seeking scale than the other two groups ( P < 0.001). But family history of alcohol abuse/dependence was not related to novelty seeking ( P = 0.092). Conclusion: Lifetime substance abuse appears to be more prevalent in anorexia nervosa patients with bulimic features. Higher novelty-seeking scores may be associated with diagnosis cross-over. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Alexithymia, a personality trait characterized as having problems identifying, describing, and working with one's own feelings, often marked by a lack of understanding of the feelings of others, is only partly described within the context of personality. The aim of the present study was therefore to study the prevalence of alexithymia among male alcohol-dependent inpatients and investigate the relationship between alexithymia and the dimensions of Cloninger's psychobiological model of personality. Methods: The Turkish version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Turkish version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were administered to 111 male alcohol-dependent inpatients. Results: TAS-20 scores correlated positively with harm avoidance and self-transcendence and negatively with self-directedness and cooperativeness. Regression analysis identified high harm avoidance and self-transcendence and low self-directedness as independent predictors of alexithymia. Also harm avoidance and self-transcendence predicted alexithymia in a logistic regression model. Conclusions: Alexithymia can be explained by specific dimensions within Cloninger's psychobiological model of personality in alcohol-dependent Turkish men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To identify the psychosocial correlates of adolescents. Methods: Unmarried university students ( n = 4226) aged 18–23 years were examined in a questionnaire survey. Results: Four clusters of people (indifferent, secure, fearful, and preoccupied) identified by cluster analysis were plotted in 2-D using discriminant function analysis with the first function (father's and mother's Care, Cooperativeness, and family Cohesion on the positive end and Harm Avoidance and father's and mother's Overprotection on the negative end) representing the Self-model and the second function (Reward Dependence and experience of Peer Victimization on the positive end and Self-directedness on the negative end) representing the Other model. Conclusions: These findings partially support Bartholomew's notion that adult attachment is based on the good versus bad representations of the self and the other and that it is influenced by psychosocial environments experienced over the course of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to assess a group of patients with chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) and control subjects using the personality questionnaire proposed by Cloninger and to determine possible changes in the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) patterns of CTTH patients after therapy with serotonergic antidepressants. Forty-five patients with CTTH filled out the TCI and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) before and after 4-month prophylactic therapy with serotonergic antidepressants. A total of 50 age-, sex- and education level-matched healthy subjects were selected as a control group. During the pretreatment period patients were found to have higher harm avoidance and lower self-directedness scores than healthy comparison subjects. During the post-treatment period, although harm avoidance scores decreased and self-directedness scores increased, harm avoidance scores were still significantly higher and self-directedness scores significantly lower in CTTH patients than in controls. After using BDI score and age as covariates at the post-treatment period, harm avoidance scores were still higher in patients with CTTH while self-directedness scores did not differ between CTTH patients and controls. These findings suggest state and trait dependence of harm avoidance, and strong state dependence of self-directedness scores in CTTH patients. When interpreting data regarding personality measured by the TCI in CTTH patients, the effects of depressive symptomatology should be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychotic features have been considered the main determinant of psychosocial function in schizophrenia. However, other variables are likely to affect dysfunction in these patients. The authors’ hypothesis is that personality traits in outpatients with chronic schizophrenia differ from traits found in the healthy population and may be associated with disability in this disorder. A total of 62 patients with schizophrenia were evaluated with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ). Psychotic features were measured with the help of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Disability was assessed with the Disability Assessment Schedule (DAS). A total of 43 healthy subjects were used as controls for personality measurements. Normative data for the study population was also used to evaluate results in patients. Patients with schizophrenia had higher levels of neuroticism (median in percentile 65) and lower levels of extraversion (median in percentile 25) than the healthy population. Results of the TPQ showed higher harm avoidance and lower reward dependence levels compared to the healthy population. After multiple regression tests, negative symptoms were the strongest predictor of disability in patients with schizophrenia. Neuroticism contributed independently to the DAS overall behavior and global judgement subscales scores (more negative symptoms and higher neuroticism resulted in worse functioning), but not to the social role subscale. Outpatients with chronic schizophrenia showed high levels of neuroticism, harm avoidance, and introversion. Neuroticism significantly contributes to the long-term deficits found in patients with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this present study was to evaluate the temperament and character profiles of persons with tension-type headache (TTH) and migraine, and to compare the results with those of healthy controls. The study population consisted of 81 patients with TTH (60 female, 21 male) and 56 patients with migraine (34 female, 17 male) aged 18–50 years, according to the criteria of the International Headache Society with age and gender– matched healthy control subjects (54 female, 28 male). All participants were instructed to complete a self-administered 240-item temperament and character inventory (TCI) questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The TCI assesses four dimensions of temperament, namely, novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA), reward dependence (RD), and persistence (P), and three dimensions of character, being self-directedness (SD), cooperativeness (C) and self-transcendence (ST). According to the TCI biosocial model, the temperament dimension HA is suggested to indicate central serotonergic turnover, which is further correlated with depressive state. It was found that mean BDI scores were significantly higher in patients with TTH and migraine than in those of the controls. The BDI scores were positively correlated with HA scores (r = 0.295,P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with SD (r = −0.386,P < 0.001) and C scores (r = −0.164,P= 0.016). Multivariate analysis showed that BDI scores had significant covariation for HA, SD and C. Despite using the BDI score as a covariate, TTH patients had higher HA scores (P = 0.01) than did the control subjects. No significant differences were found between the groups regarding main NS, RD, P, SD, C and ST scores. Based on the main results of this study, it is suggested that higher serotonergic activity related to HA scores in TTH patients and their relationship with depressive symptomatology supports the role of central serotonergic involvement in TTH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The contribution of early experiences towards the onset of personality disorder has often been stressed. However, the contribution to trait personality has received less attention. To examine the impact of early experiences on the development of personality, two subscale scores of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ): neuroticism (N) and extroversion (E), were used to assess a total of 220 residents of a rural city of Japan (aged ≥18 years). After controlling for age and social desirability response bias, the N score of men could be predicted by the experience of relocation; the E score of men by high parental care and low parental overprotection; and the E score of women by the experience of death of a sibling. Personality traits in a non-patient population may be explained by early experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAlthough many clinical studies have been conducted to determine the etiological role and clinical implications of typus melancholicus for unipolar depression, maladaptive personality features in depressive patients have not been well described. This study explores typus melancholicus, as measured by the rigidity subscale of the Munich Personality Test, and maladaptive personality features, as measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), in 131 remitted patients with DSM-IV major depression and 154 normal controls. The patients reported significantly higher scores on rigidity and harm avoidance and significantly lower scores on self-directedness and cooperativeness. Only 23.6% of the variance of the rigidity scale was explained by the variance of the seven TCI scales, in which only persistence was significantly correlated positively to rigidity. Cluster analysis identified four subgroups, two of which were characterized by a high rigidity score. One of these two subgroups showed no maladaptive personality features, as measured by the TCI, while the other showed high harm avoidance and low self-directedness. These results indicate that the personality of depressive patients is characterized not only by typus melancholicus but also by maladaptive personality features, that typus melancholicus is not well represented by any TCI scale, and that typus melancholicus and maladaptive personality features can coexist in some depressive patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn order to examine the effects of personality and early life experiences on perceived social support, a total of 97 young Japanese women were investigated. Current interpersonal relationships were measured by an interview modified from Henderson et al.’s Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI). Personality was measured by Cloninger et al.’s Temperament and Character Inventory. Early life experiences at home and outside of home were also identified in the interview. The number of sources of perceived support was correlated with self-directness, while satisfaction with perceived support was correlated with novelty seeking and with low harm avoidance. No early life experiences — early loss of a parent, perceived parenting, childhood abuse experiences, experiences of being bullied and/or other life events — showed significant correlations with the number or satisfaction of supportive people. The quantity and quality of perception of social support differ in their link to personality, and perceived social support may, to some extent, be explainable in terms of personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]