Personality and risk for serious mental illness

Aim Certain personality traits may be related to an increased risk of developing a severe mental illness (SMI). This study examined differences in personality characteristics in a sample of youth at‐risk of SMI across different clinical stages compared to healthy controls (HCs). Method Personality c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Early intervention in psychiatry 2021-02, Vol.15 (1), p.133-139
Main Authors: Santesteban‐Echarri, Olga, MacQueen, Glenda, Goldstein, Benjamin I., Wang, JianLi, Kennedy, Sidney H., Bray, Signe, Lebel, Catherine, Addington, Jean
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child & adolescent psychiatry
clinical staging
Illnesses
Mental disorders
Mental health
Norms
Personality
Personality traits
psychiatric syndromes
Risk analysis
serious mental illness
Signs and symptoms
transdiagnostic
youth mental health
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Summary:Aim Certain personality traits may be related to an increased risk of developing a severe mental illness (SMI). This study examined differences in personality characteristics in a sample of youth at‐risk of SMI across different clinical stages compared to healthy controls (HCs). Method Personality characteristics were assessed with the NEO‐Five‐Factor Inventory‐3 for 41 non‐help seeking asymptomatic youth with risk factors for SMI (Stage 0), 52 youth with early mood and anxiety symptoms and distress (Stage 1a), 108 youth with an attenuated psychiatric syndrome (Stage 1b), and 42 HCs. Results Symptomatic participants scored significantly higher in neuroticism, and lower in extraversion, and conscientiousness compared to non‐symptomatic participants. Compared to published norms, symptomatic participants had ratings of extraversion and conscientiousness in the low range and those with attenuated psychiatric syndromes scored high on neuroticism. Conclusion The observed personality profiles of the symptomatic stages were similar to reported profiles for discrete disorders. Early identification of this profile could aid identification of those at risk of SMI.
ISSN:1751-7885
1751-7893
DOI:10.1111/eip.12921