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A comparison between screened NIMH and clinically interviewed control samples on neuroticism and extraversion
A Talati1, A J Fyer, M M Weissman
1Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. mmw3@columbia.edu
Molecular Psychiatry
|October 17, 2007
Summary
NIMH screened participants for psychiatric genetic studies showed personality differences if they reported symptoms. Using only symptom-free individuals from the NIMH sample is recommended for accurate control groups in research.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatric Genetics
- Psychology
Background:
- The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) collected DNA samples from over 4000 subjects for psychiatric genetic studies.
- These subjects underwent online screening but lacked direct interviews or family history assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the NIMH-screened sample with a directly interviewed sample on neuroticism and extraversion.
- To evaluate the suitability of the NIMH-screened sample as controls in psychiatric research.
Main Methods:
- Online self-report using the Composite International Diagnostic Instrument Short-Form (CIDI-SF).
- Direct interviews using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS-LA-IV) and Family History Screen.
- Personality assessment using the NEO five-factor inventory (NEO-FFI) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R).
Main Results:
- NIMH-screened subjects reporting no psychiatric symptoms were similar in neuroticism and extraversion to interviewed, diagnosis-free controls.
- Screened subjects positive for anxiety disorders showed significant deviations in personality traits compared to both symptom-free screened subjects and interviewed controls with comparable disorders.
Conclusions:
- Control groups derived from the NIMH sample should exclusively include subjects reporting no symptoms.
- This restriction is crucial for ensuring control groups accurately represent diagnosis-free populations in psychiatric studies.
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