Personality and Psychopathology: CAMH Research Annual Report 2002

Research in the Personality and Psychopathology Research Section examines a broad range of topical and methodological themes related to personality and psychopathology. Some of the current projects focus on: identifying alternative structures of personality psychopathology; exploring personality traits as mediating and moderating variables in treatment outcome for several disorders, including depression, anxiety and problem gambling; studying personality as a vulnerability or risk factor for mental disorders; examining the influence of acute distress on personality and its assessment; and investigating the role of neurotransmitter mechanisms in personality. The section also develops tests and instruments to assess personality and related constructs and develops strategies to assess and treat mental disorders using the Internet. Personality and Cognitive Vulnerability and Problem Gambling Surprisingly little is known about the personality and cognitive characteristics of people with gambling problems. In an ambitious new program of research, Drs. Michael Bagby and Peter Farvolden hope to identify personality and cognitive factors that distinguish people who remain "social gamblers" from those whose gambling activities escalate into a dysfunction or problem gambling. The long-term goal is to identify "vulnerability" factors and to develop treatments to target these vulnerabilities. Behavioural Inhibition, Behavioural Activation, Personality and Novelty Theorists have proposed that two, or perhaps three, basic neural circuits -- behavioral activation (bas), behavioral inhibition (bis) and flight-fight -- mediate all of our different motivations and emotions.Our researchers are working on a project to examine the relationship between bis and bas sensitivity and other major empirical systems of personality and preference for novelty. Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Anxiety Sensitivity and Attachment According to current explanations of panic disorder and agoraphobia (pd/ag), panic attacks are the result of a "false alarm" combined with an over-attentiveness to internal bodily sensations and/or a tendency to catastrophize. Agoraphobia is seen as a marker for a more severe form of panic disorder. Some evidence suggests that increased vulnerability to separation distress and/or an "insecure" attachment style may also have an important role in pd/ag. A current project examines the relative importance of individual differences in anxiety sensitivity and attachment security in panic symptoms and panic disorder. Personality, Positive Mood and Attentional Biases in Depression Major depressive disorder (mdd) is an extremely prevalent mental health problem with vast socio-emotional and economic costs. High rates of relapse and recurrence create a continuing challenge in the treatment of mdd. This project examines the potential role of "positive" traits, such as behavioural activation sensitivity, extraversion, ability to experience positive mood and "positive" cognitive biases, in predicting response to treatment and relapse in depression. Childhood Adversity, Adult Attachment Style and Interpersonal Functioning in Depression This study explores a model that relates negative childhood events and adult attachment style to interpersonal functioning in people who have depression. We hypothesize that different kinds of negative childhood events (abuse versus neglect) will be associated with different adult attachment styles (avoidant versus anxious-ambivalent). In turn, these attachment styles will be associated with different styles of interpersonal functioning in depression, with potentially important implications for treatment. Application of the Five-Factor Model of Personality to Psychopathology Ongoing research in this area attempts to determine whether the dimensions of personality represented by the Five-Factor Model of Personality can be applied successfully to a variety of patient samples and used to better understand the relevant neurobiology, psychopharmacology and structure of personality psycho-pathology. Relationship between Stability and Change in Personality This study attempts to find a way to reliably assess personality traits in the context of acute psychiatric illness. We are exploring the differences between absolute and relative stability of personality traits and issues related to personality stability -- ipsative and factorial stability. This project looks at such stability issues in patients with depression, before and after treatment. Neurotransmitter Mechanisms in Modulating Dimensions of Personality In two ongoing studies, we are working to understand the relationship between dimensions of personality and specific neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine). Personality as a Predictor of Recurrent Major Depressive Episodes Many people successfully treated for depression experience a recurrent episode following several months of remission. We continue a study of the role of personality psychopathology as a contributing factor to depressive illness. Personality, Limbic-Cortical Function and Vulnerability to Major Depression and Other Imaging Studies We continue to explore vulnerability to depression. pet scans in patients with depression display specific patterns to induced sad mood; people who have a high score on "neuroticism" are vulnerable to develop depression. Our research examines whether never-depressed "normal" subjects with high neuroticism scores show the same response as people who are depressed or were previously depressed. Other ongoing pet studies examine specific receptor occupancy and the relation to personality traits thought to be regulated by these specific receptors. Personality as a Mediator of Treatment Outcome This ongoing project examines whether different types of personality traits (dependency and self-criticism) moderate and/or mediate treatment outcome differently in three standard and empirically established effective interventions for depression (interpersonal therapy,cognitive-behavioural therapy and pharmacotherapy).