Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 12, 2025
11:29
Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
9.3K
Personality Trait Profiles in People With Mild Intellectual Disability: A Comparative Study
Renate A van der Heijden1,2, Paul T van der Heijden2,3, Hubert P L M Korzilius4
1Centre for Psychiatry and Mild Intellectual Disability, GGZ Oost Brabant, Boekel, The Netherlands.
Journal of Intellectual Disability Research : JIDR
|August 8, 2025
Summary
People with mild intellectual disability (MID) show similar maladaptive personality traits as those with borderline intellectual functioning and average educational levels. Clinicians should assess beyond intellectual disability for mental health needs in MID populations.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Intellectual Disability Research
Background:
- Assessing personality in individuals with mild intellectual disability (MID) is challenging due to communication barriers and limited validated instruments.
- Maladaptive personality traits in MID may be misattributed to the disability itself, leading to a knowledge gap.
- This study aimed to investigate maladaptive personality traits in individuals with MID.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and characterize maladaptive personality traits in individuals with mild intellectual disability (MID).
- To compare the maladaptive personality profiles of individuals with MID to those with borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) and average educational levels (AVE).
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Short Form (DAPP-SF) for trait assessment.
- Compared maladaptive personality traits in individuals with MID (n=75) from specialized mental health care.
- Included comparison groups of individuals with borderline intellectual functioning (BIF, n=69) and average educational levels (AVE, n=73) from general mental health care.
Main Results:
- Individuals with MID exhibited higher scores in Affective Lability, Anxiousness, Identity Problems, Insecure Attachment, and Suspiciousness compared to the AVE group.
- Individuals with MID scored lower on Narcissism and Social Avoidance than the AVE group.
- No significant differences in personality traits were observed between MID and BIF groups, except for lower Social Avoidance in MID.
Conclusions:
- Maladaptive personality traits in individuals with MID and comorbid psychopathology are comparable in severity to those with BIF or average educational levels within mental health care settings.
- Highlights the importance for clinicians to look beyond intellectual and adaptive functioning when assessing mental health issues in individuals with MID.
- Emphasizes the need for tailored treatment approaches to address the mental health needs of individuals with MID.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Intellectual Disability
159
Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning that manifest during the developmental period. This condition encompasses challenges in reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and learning, accompanied by impairments in everyday life skills, such as communication, self-care, and social interactions. Intellectual disability affects approximately 1% of the population in the United States, impacting an estimated 5...
159
01:24Cattell's 16 Personality Factors
1.3K
Raymond Cattell's trait theory offers a structured framework for understanding personality by distinguishing between two critical traits: surface and source traits. Surface traits are observable patterns of behavior, such as indecisiveness, anxiety, and irrational fears. These traits are less stable, varying across situations and over time. This means that they are less helpful in understanding the deeper aspects of an individual's personality.
In contrast, source traits are the...
In contrast, source traits are the...
1.3K
01:22Self-Report Tests of Personality
455
Self-report inventories are objective personality assessments that use multiple-choice items or numbered scales, typically ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). They are often called Likert scales after Rensis Likert. These inventories are widely used due to their ease of administration and cost-effectiveness. One of the most prominent examples is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), initially developed in the 1940s to assess abnormal personality traits.
455
01:22Personality Disorders: Paranoid and Schizoid
171
Personality disorders represent enduring cognition, affect, and behavior patterns that significantly deviate from societal norms. These maladaptive traits often lead to difficulties in various domains, including interpersonal relationships, occupational settings, and overall psychological well-being. Paranoid personality disorder and schizoid personality disorder are two distinct conditions marked by odd or eccentric behavior.
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Paranoid personality disorder is...
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Paranoid personality disorder is...
171
01:20Trait Theory by Gordon Allport
1.2K
Gordon Allport, often regarded as the father of American personality psychology, developed a theory that emphasized the importance of understanding people in their present lives rather than focusing on their past, as psychoanalysis did. Allport believed that personality should be studied in healthy, well-adjusted individuals rather than those with psychological problems. He was particularly interested in defining traits, which he saw as fundamental mental structures that guide behavior across...
1.2K
01:26Personality Disorders: Narcissistic and Avoidant
188
Narcissistic and avoidant personality traits represent two contrasting patterns of behavior that significantly influence social interactions and self-perception. While individuals with narcissistic disorder seek admiration and validation, individuals with avoidant personality disorder withdraw due to fear of judgment.
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...
188