title: Impaired social functioning and symptoms of personality disorders assessed by peer and self-report in a nonclinical population.
abstract: Data regarding the connection between personality disorders (PDs) and impaired social functioning are often difficult to interpret because both sets of variables are influenced by depressed mood and both are usually assessed using self-report instruments. We studied PD symptoms in a nonclinical population and examined whether these symptoms are associated with social dysfunction, after controlling for current mental state. Participants were 577 undergraduate students who completed self-report measures of social functioning, PD symptoms, depression, and anxiety, as well as a peer-report PD inventory. As expected, self-reported PD scores and social dysfunction were both correlated with current levels of anxiety and depression. Both self- and peer-reported PD symptoms contributed to the prediction of level of social functioning above and beyond the influence of depressed mood. Overall, our results complement those from clinical samples and provide further evidence that there is an association between PD traits and impaired social functioning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, P. O. Box 400400, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA. tfo@virginia.edu
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Oltmanns
authors.forename: Alison H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Melley
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turkheimer
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012919:Social Behavior; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires