title: Personality disorder and future-directed thinking in parasuicide.
abstract: Parasuicide patients have been found to lack positive expectations for the future. The aim of the present study was to look at variations in this lack of positive future-thinking as a function of personality status. A sample (N = 442) of repeat parasuicide patients was assessed on positive and negative future-thinking and the presence of personality disorder or personality difficulty. Those with a Cluster B personality disorder (borderline or dissocial) were significantly lower in positive future-thinking than those with no Cluster B symptoms or those with Cluster B personality difficulty. Neither Cluster A nor Cluster C symptomatology was related to positive future-thinking. Negative future-thinking was not significantly related to any type of personality disorder or difficulty. The results are interpreted as evidence of the importance of personality status in influencing positive future-thinking and gives some indications of why those with Cluster B personality disorder have such high rates of recurrent self-harm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom. a.macleod@rhul.ac.uk
authors.forename: Andrew K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: MacLeod
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tata
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tyrer
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013850:Thinking