Lecture 5- Wellbeing and Personality Flashcards
What broad areas of health can personality influence?
- Vulnerability to physical and psychological illness
- How we experience such illness (illness behaviour)
- likelihood of seeking support for health issues
- Recovery and outcome of illness
Outline the direct link between personality and health
- Personality has a causal role in health and illness
- E.g. “Disesase Prone” Personality (Psychosomatic Conditions)
- E.g. stomach ulcers, CHD,
PERSONALITY -> BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES-> ILLNESS
outline the correlational link between personality and health
- Correlational link between personality and illnss
- E.g. Matthews (2003) Genetic relationship between vulnerability to CHD and personality traits of hostility
BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES -> PERSONALITY
&
BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES -> ILLNESS
Outine personality traits influence behaviours as a link between personality and health
- Personality traits may influence our behaviours; which subsequently influence our risk for certain illness
- e.g more sensation seeking = substance use, risky sexual behaviour
PERSONALITY -> RISKY BEHAVIOUR -> ILLNESS
Outline changes in personality as a link between personality and health
- Having an illness may result in changes in our personality
- Brain disorders (Az), chronic conditions, illness in childhood (Psychosocial adjustment, sociability)
ILLNESS-> PERSONALITY
How is the big five linked to health
- Differing relations with psychological and physical illness for Big 5
- Evidence that lower levels of conscientiousness linked to lower treatment adherence
What were Smith (2006) 4 main features of links between personality and health/
- Role of anger and hostility
- Social dominance
- Neuroticisms and negative affect
- Optimism
How is neuroticism linked to health>
- Reduced longevity; serious physical disease
- Physical complaints with no identifiable medical caue
- More somatic symptoms
- Body dysmorphic disorder
Outline how optimism is linked to health
- Optimists are less susceptible to depression and anxiety
- Tend to live longer
- Experience fewer physical symptoms, recover better from surgery, report fewer complications (Scheier & Carver, 1987)
What are problems with research that links personality and health
X - could reflect psychological REACTION to disease
X - self-rated symptoms?
X - associations do not explain
Outline Williams et al (2011) study into illness beliefs and behaviours
- Explored Type D personality and illness beliefs/ behaviours
- Type D’s were Significantly different from non-type D on all illness perception dimensions
Outline Diathesis stress models of psychological disorders***
- individuals ability to cope with stress is a potentially important mechanism
- Stress is a response to perceived demands
- We vary in how we perceive demands and this effects how stressful it is
- Vulnerable individuals are more likely to have negative responses than resilient individuals
Outline 1. Health behaviour models of stress
- Personality impacts on engagement with health behaviours, and this impacts on illness
- Personality can also influence our appraisal and coping strategies when faced with stressful situations
PERSONALITY -> HELATH BEHAVIOURS -> ILLNESS
PERSONALITY -> APPRAISAL
PERSONALITY -> COPING
COPING -> HEALTH BEHAVIOURS
outline 2. Interactional Stress models
Personality moderates the physiological responses to stressors that can influence the subsequent likelihood of disease
PERSONALITY -> APPRAISAL & COPING
APPRAISAL & COPING -> PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE
PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE -> ILLNESS
outline 3. Transactional Stress Model
Personality influences exposure to stressefull circumstances
PERSONALITY -> APPRAISAL & COPING
PERSONALITY -> STRESSFUL CIRCUMSTANCES (and vice versa)
PERSONALITY -> SUBSEQENT CIRCUMSTANCES (and vice versa)
APPRAISAL & COPING -> PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE -> ILLNESS
Outline Locus of control as a related concept
Rotter (1966)
- Extent individuals believe they can control events and their experiences
- Internal LOC: believe our behaviour can influence the outcome of a situation or scenario
- External LOC: outcome is out of our control, and related to external factors
- Links with psychological and physical disorders
•Depression
•Therapy and Quality of life in illness
Outline Self-effficacy as a related concept
Degree of confidence in our ability to perform a particular task, in order to achieve positive outcome
- Positively related to health behaviours
- Related to motivation and persistence - important in recovery
- Important mediator between stressful life events and depressive symptoms
Define Personality Disorders
- Enduring, maladaptive patterns of behaviours and cognitions that deviate markedly from what is expected and accepted
- Extreme and severe disturbances of affecting not only the individual but also their interpersonal relations
What is the DSM-5’s criteria for personality disorder
•Patterns of behaviours and experiences that deviate from normal (Cognitions, affect, interpersonal functioning, impulse control)
- enduring, inflexible, pervaisve
- Stable over time (Traced from early childhood)
- Not caused by another disorder or substance
- Clinically significant impairment or distress
There are 10 disorders, grouped into 3 clusters
Outline Prevalence & Comorbidity of personality disorders
- 6% Cluster A - odd or eccentric
- 5% Cluster B - Dramatic, emotional, erratic
- 7% Cluster C - Anxious, fearful
Comborbidity with: Anxiety, mood, substance disorders
- PD’s often co-occur as well
What are the 3 characteristics of the healthy self
- Identity
- unique person
- Stable boundaries - Self-direction
- Meaningful goals
- appreciation of social norms and how to interact with others - Positive interpersonal relationships
- empathy
- understand impat of behaviour on others
- Intimacy and mutual connectedness
Which of the 5 factors are linked to
Saulsman & Page (2004)
Neuroticism and agreeableness -> related to all personality disorders
Extraversion related to histrionic/ avoidant PD
What are the 3 disorders in Cluster A
Odd or eccentric personality disorders
- Paranoid PD
- Schizoid PD
- Schizotypal PD
Outline Schizotypal PD
- Extreme discomfort with and reduced tendency for close relationships
- ODd beliefs or magical thinking (E.g. thinking your thoughts could affect the physical world
- unusual perceptual experiences
- Odd thinking or speech, peculiar dress or mannerisms
- Ideas of reference
- General Social Anxiety (paranoid fears)
How are cluster A PD’s linked to Sz
- Viewed as on the same same spectrum
- First degree relatives of Sz, 10x likely to show Cluster A
- First stage of Sz?
- Similar structural brain abnormalties - decreased left hemispheric volume of fronto-temporal regions
What are the 4 disorder in Cluster B
Dramatic, emotional or erratice personality disorders
- Antisocial PD
- Borderline PD
- Histrionic PD
- Narcissistic PD
Outline Borderline Personality Disorder
- Intense and unstable relationships (idealisation -> Devaluation
- Fear of abandonment
- Feelings of emptiness or worthlessness
- Impulsive behaviours - money, sex, substances, poor anger control
- Paranoia and delusions
- Mood instability
- Self-harm, anxious, poor coping with stress
What are some proposed causes of BPD?
- Abuse
- Insecure attachment (Levy, 2005)
- Impulsivity
- Reduced volume in emotional and decision making areas of brain
•Genetic factors + Adverse childhood experiences = emotional dysregulation, impulsivity etc = BPD
What are the 3 personality disorders in Cluster C?
Anxious or fearful personality disorders
- Obsessive compulsive PD
- Avoidant PD
- Dependent PD
Outline Obsessive Compulsive PD
- Overly concerned with details, organisation, rules or order
- Levels of perfectionism intereferes with the completion of tasks
- Extremely and excessively devoted to work; friendships and leisure suffers
- Infelxible and over-conscientious about issues of morals, ethics
- Difficulty working with others - tasks must be done in a particular way
- Rigid, stubborn
What are the 3 categories of Causes of Personality disorders
- Genetic and heritability influences
- Developmental and childhood experiences
- Biological influences (Neuropsychology)
How does OCPD differ from OCD
OCPD - are efficient workers
OCPD have fixation with following procedures for every day tasks
Treatment seeking behaviours differ
Impact on work, social and family life differs
Impact on interpersonal relationsihps differ
Outline Torgensen et al (2000) Twin study into the heritability of PD
Heritability estimates:
Cluster A: 37%
Cluster B: 60%
Cluster C: 62%
All PD’s: 60%
BPD = around 40%
avoidance pd: 35%
Outline Childhood factors as environment factors for PD
- Antisocial, Borderline and Schizotypal PD's have been linked to parenting behaviours: •Low levels of affection • Lack of nurturing and neglect •Emotional and sexual abuse •Negative childhood experiences
What did Miller & Lisak (1999) find about childhood abuse history
Childhood abuse history was significantly associated with greater levels of symptomology across all 3 clusters
What are the difficulties in treating PD’s?
- Each person/ PD presents differently
- Difficulty maintaining relationships with therapist
- Rarely show up for treatment
• Antisocial PD and OCPD
Outline Dialectical Behaviour therapy for BPD
Problem solving and acceptance of the experience of the moment. 4 stages:
- Pretreatment Stage
1. First stage – around 1 year, stabilizing stage
2. Second Stage – processing of traumatic events
3. Third Stage – Developing a sense of self
