Psychodynamic personality profile in first-episode severe mental disorders.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to relate measures of psychoanalytically derived personality traits to descriptive diagnosis and psychopathology in severe mental disorders.


METHODS
Sixty-one consecutive first-episode patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe major depression were interviewed. Personality traits were assessed with the Karolinska Psychodynamic Profile (KAPP) and compared with the DSM-IV diagnosis and symptom clusters derived from the BPRS.


RESULTS
There were no marked differences in personality traits between the three diagnostic groups, between schizophrenia and affective disorders or between psychotic and non-psychotic illness. However, personality traits had significant associations with symptoms, especially with the emotional retardation cluster.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings do not support the hypothesis that severe mental disorders would differ from each other in terms of long-standing psychodynamic personality profiles. Certain dysfunctional personality traits may predict especially negative emotional symptoms and possibly also predispose a person to them.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. jyrki.heikkila@turku.fi
J
J
Heikkilä
H
H
Karlsson
T
T
Taiminen
H
H
Lauerma
T
T
Ilonen
K-M
KM
Leinonen
E
E
Wallenius
H
H
Virtanen
M
M
Heinimaa
A
A
Kaljonen
R K R
RK
Salokangas
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology