Personality dimensions in panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Personality Assessment

Background:

• Pathological anxiety disorders like panic disorder (PD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) significantly impact individuals' lives.
• Understanding the underlying personality dimensions associated with these disorders is crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment.
• Previous research has explored personality traits in anxiety disorders, but dimensional assessments require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a dimensional assessment of personality in patients diagnosed with pathological anxiety.
• To compare the personality profiles of patients with panic disorder (PD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) using the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ).
• To investigate the potential overlap in personality dimensions between PD and GAD.

Main Methods:

• The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) was administered to assess personality dimensions.
• A sample of 32 patients with PD and 49 patients with GAD participated in the study.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare TPQ scores between the two patient groups.

Main Results:

• Both PD and GAD patient groups showed substantially increased scores on the harm avoidance dimension of the TPQ.
• No significant differences were found in TPQ scores between patients with PD and GAD.
• The findings suggest that high harm avoidance may be a common trait across various anxiety disorders.

Conclusions:

• Elevated harm avoidance is a potential common personality characteristic in pathological anxiety disorders.
• The lack of significant personality differences between PD and GAD challenges the current diagnostic validity of distinguishing between these two conditions.
• Further research is warranted to explore the dimensional aspects of personality in anxiety disorders and refine diagnostic criteria.