Personality dimensions in social phobics with or without depression.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the personality traits of social phobics using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI).


METHODS
A sample of 178 social phobics was assessed with the TCI, and compared with controls. The patients were classified into two groups, according to the absence (SP group) or to the presence (SP+D group) of depression.


RESULTS
We found significant elevated scores for harm avoidance (HA) in social phobics when compared with controls (16.2 +/- 2.7), in both the SP (26.2 +/- 3.5), and the SP+D (28.9 +/- 4.7), groups. Lower self-directedness scores were found in the SP and in the SP+D groups when compared with the controls. Patients with the generalized type of social phobia had higher HA scores as compared with other social phobics.


CONCLUSIONS
The personality profile obtained in these social phobics, whatever their depressive symptomatology, reflects a dramatically anxious and avoidant temperament associated to an immature character.
Pélissolo
A
A
Service de psychiatrie, Hôpital Fernand-Widal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, France. antoine.pelissolo@psl.ap-hop-paris.fr
André
C
C
Pujol
H
H
Yao
S N
SN
Servant
D
D
Braconnier
A
A
Orain-Pélissolo
S
S
Bouchez
S
S
Lépine
J-P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales