Relationship Among Childhood Trauma, Personality Traits, and Personality Disorders

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Michelson ◽  
Catherine Campbell ◽  
Michael S. McCloskey ◽  
Royce Lee ◽  
Emil F. Coccaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Childhood Trauma

Machiavellianism and personality disorder: their relationship in the mirror of interpersonal attitudes

2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (40) ◽  
pp. 1584-1588
Author(s):  
András Láng
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Interpersonal Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Personality Dysfunction ◽  
Medium Strength

Introduction: Social and personality psychologists have described Machiavellianism as a pragmatic, callous-unemotional, exploitative and manipulative attitude towards others. Several former studies linked Machiavellian personality traits and interpersonal problems or personality dysfunction. Aim: The aim of this study was to reveal the connection between Machiavellianism and interpersonal problems that are characteristic of personality disorders. Method: 252 participants (146 females and 106 males, aged 32.46±5.39 years, mean±SD) filled out self-report measures of Machiavellianism and personality disorder related interpersonal problems. Results: There was a medium strength relationships between Machiavellianism and several interpersonal problems. Aggression and ambivalence proved to be significant predictors of Machiavellian personality traits. Conclusions: Results are discussed in relation to the patient–therapist bond. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(39), 1584–1588.

Stress and Personality Disorders

2019 ◽  
pp. 182-198
Author(s):  
Christina Noel White ◽  
Christopher C. Conway ◽  
Thomas F. Oltmanns
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stress Exposure ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Methodological Problems ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
Stress Influence

This chapter reviews literature investigating the complex relationships between stress and personality disorders. Various forms of early life adversity, particularly experiences of abuse and neglect, portend the development of personality disorders and maladaptive personality traits later in life. Much of this association appears to be causal (i.e., independent of genetic risk). A comparatively much smaller literature suggests that acute stressful events later in development show complex interrelations with personality disorders. These connections appear to be bidirectional, such that not only does stress influence the development of personality, but personality also influences stress exposure. Additionally, personality traits influence the way in which individuals respond to stressors, both psychologically and physiologically. Our review concludes by underlining enduring methodological problems and conceptual issues that await resolution in future empirical work.

Childhood trauma moderates morphometric associations between orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala: implications for pathological personality traits

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Nadia Bounoua ◽  
Rickie Miglin ◽  
Jeffrey M. Spielberg ◽  
Curtis L. Johnson ◽  
Naomi Sadeh
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Emotional Dysregulation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Pathological Personality Traits

Abstract Background Research has demonstrated that chronic stress exposure early in development can lead to detrimental alterations in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)–amygdala circuit. However, the majority of this research uses functional neuroimaging methods, and thus the extent to which childhood trauma corresponds to morphometric alterations in this limbic-cortical network has not yet been investigated. This study had two primary objectives: (i) to test whether anatomical associations between OFC–amygdala differed between adults as a function of exposure to chronic childhood assaultive trauma and (ii) to test how these environment-by-neurobiological effects relate to pathological personality traits. Methods Participants were 137 ethnically diverse adults (48.1% female) recruited from the community who completed a clinical diagnostic interview, a self-report measure of pathological personality traits, and anatomical MRI scans. Results Findings revealed that childhood trauma moderated bilateral OFC–amygdala volumetric associations. Specifically, adults with childhood trauma exposure showed a positive association between medial OFC volume and amygdalar volume, whereas adults with no childhood exposure showed the negative OFC–amygdala structural association observed in prior research with healthy samples. Examination of the translational relevance of trauma-related alterations in OFC–amygdala volumetric associations for disordered personality traits revealed that trauma exposure moderated the association of OFC volume with antagonistic and disinhibited phenotypes, traits characteristic of Cluster B personality disorders. Conclusions The OFC–amygdala circuit is a potential anatomical pathway through which early traumatic experiences perpetuate emotional dysregulation into adulthood and confer risk for personality pathology. Results provide novel evidence of divergent neuroanatomical pathways to similar personality phenotypes depending on early trauma exposure.

A New Look at Personality Disorders Treatments

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S506-S506
Author(s):  
S. Neves ◽  
J. Tudela
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Primary Treatment ◽  
Adjunctive Treatment ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Sociocultural Change ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionMental illness develops and is inseparable from the sociocultural context. The Disturbances may exhibit different symptoms in different cultures. In personality disorders, there is a pathological expansion of normal traits that often demonstrate a sociocultural change. The quality of life of these patients can improve with certain treatments, which appears to be relevant to be achieved.MethodSearch on Pubmed and Medline for original research or review articles published in English or Portuguese in the last 10 years. It used a combination of terms: “personality”, “treatment”, “personality disorder”, “borderline”, “antissocial”, “pharmacotherapy”, and other named personality disorders.Objectives/AimSearch the evidence base and the new perspectives for the effective treatment of personality disorders.ResultsThe same personality traits may be adaptive or non-adaptive in different contexts. So, without changing these characteristics, patients can learn to use them more effectively. In other words, although the therapy did not change the personality traits, it can be modified in the way they affect the behavioral expression.ConclusionsPsychological or psychosocial intervention is recommended as the primary treatment for borderline personality disorder and pharmacotherapy is only advised as an adjunctive treatment. The amount of research about the underlying, abnormal, psychological or biological processes leading to the manifestation of a disordered personality is increasing, which could lead to more effective interventions.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Does Childhood Trauma Cause Personality Disorders in Adults?

1998 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Paris
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Personality Pathology ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Gene Environment ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Relationship

Objective: To examine the relationship between trauma in childhood and personality disorders in adulthood. Method: A review of the literature was conducted. Results: The reported associations between trauma and personality pathology are illuminated by the following research findings: 1) personality is heritable; 2) only a minority of patients with severe personality disorders report childhood trauma; and 3) children are generally resilient, and traumatic experiences do not consistently lead to psychopathology. Conclusions: The role of trauma in the personality disorders is best understood in the context of gene–environment interactions.

Personality Disorders

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yosefa A. Ehrlich ◽  
Amir Garakani ◽  
Stephanie R Pavlos ◽  
Larry Siever
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Diagnostic Criteria ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Organizational System ◽  
Medical Disorders

Personality can be defined as an organizational system of self that shapes the manner in which a person interacts with his or her environment. Personality traits develop in adolescence or early adulthood and are thought to be shaped by early childhood experiences and enduring throughout a lifetime. Personality traits that prevent an individual from being able to function in society or that cause significant distress are diagnosed as personality disorders. A thorough history is needed to rule out other psychiatric and medical disorders. This chapter reviews the diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, comorbidity, prevalence, etiology (including genetics and neurobiology), prognosis, and treatment of paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, borderline, antisocial, narcissistic, histrionic, avoidant, obsessive-compulsive, and dependent personality disorders. A discussion of the relevance of personality disorders to primary care practices and approaches to managing such patients is also included. Tables describe the diagnostic criteria of each personality disorder. Figures illustrate the prevalence of personality disorders in the general and psychiatric populations; schizotypal personality disorder in the community, general population, and clinical population; childhood trauma in individuals with personality disorder; and comorbid disorders in individuals with borderline personality disorder. A model of brain processing in borderline personality disorder is also featured. This chapter contains 5 highly rendered figures, 10 tables, 230 references, and 5 MCQs.

Personality disorders

2015 ◽  
pp. 277-294
Author(s):  
Martin Brüne
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Life History ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Subjective Distress ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Dependence Versus ◽  
Behavioural Patterns

Personality disorders (PD) concern inflexible and maladaptive cognitive, emotional, and behavioural patterns, which cause significant functional impairment or subjective distress. One group of PD is characterized by ‘eccentricity’, another by ‘dramatic’ behaviour, and a third cluster by predominant anxiety. Personality traits reflect individual patterns of behaviour that serve the purpose to achieve important biosocial goals. These behaviours can be grouped according to their interpersonal meaning: dominance versus submission; competition versus cooperation; dependence versus nurturance; assertion versus avoidance; aggression versus defence; and risk-taking versus harm avoidance. From a life-history perspective, personality traits, as well as personality disorders representing the extremes of variation of normal trait distribution, can be differentiated into ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ life-history strategies. Predictions about future resource availability arise from early childhood experiences with caregivers and the interaction of these experiences with genes involved in the regulation of aggression, attachment, etc.

Personality Disorders as Collections of Traits

2019 ◽  
pp. 40-70
Author(s):  
Joshua D. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Construct Validity ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
General Model ◽  
Alternative Model ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Empirical Relations ◽  
Expert Ratings

This chapter argues that personality disorders can and should be understood as collections of basic personality traits from a general model of personality, namely the five-factor model (FFM). It reviews evidence for the convergence of FFM personality disorder profiles across multiple approaches—expert ratings (i.e., researchers and clinicians) and empirical relations. It discusses how to score the personality disorders from the FFM and provides evidence for the convergent, discriminant, and construct validity of this approach. The chapter also demonstrates how the new alternative model for personality disorders can be embedded within the more established and robust FFM literature.

The Association of Childhood Trauma and Personality Disorders With Chronic Depression

2015 ◽  
Vol 76 (06) ◽  
pp. e794-e801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Philipp Klein ◽  
Antje Roniger ◽  
Ulrich Schweiger ◽  
Christina Späth ◽  
Jeannette Brodbeck
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Chronic Depression
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