Resilient, undercontrolled, and overcontrolled personality types based upon DSM-5 maladaptive personality traits

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Personality Disorders

Background:

• Personality types are crucial for understanding psychopathology.
• The DSM-5 maladaptive personality traits provide a framework for classifying personality.
• Differentiating personality prototypes can inform clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the clinical relevance of resilient, overcontrolled, and undercontrolled personality types.
• To examine if these personality prototypes differ in personality functioning and psychopathology.
• To inform treatment focus based on identified personality types.

Main Methods:

• Cluster analysis was used to identify personality types in 192 adult patients.
• Data were collected through self-report questionnaires and structured interviews.
• Patients were referred to a specialized mental health care center for personality disorder assessment.

Main Results:

• A resilient personality type was identified, characterized by no elevation in maladaptive traits and better functioning.
• Overcontrolled individuals exhibited elevated Negative Affectivity and higher rates of mood disorders.
• Undercontrolled individuals showed elevations across most maladaptive traits and higher rates of narcissistic and borderline personality disorders.

Conclusions:

• Distinct personality types (resilient, overcontrolled, undercontrolled) were identified with varying levels of psychopathology.
• Identifying these personality types can guide treatment intensity, aligning with a stepped care model.
• Resilient types may require less intensive treatment, while undercontrolled types may need more intensive interventions.