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Coping styles predict change in personality disorders

M Vollrath1, R Alnaes, S Torgersen

  • 1Department of Social Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Journal of Personality Disorders
|October 24, 1998
PubMed
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This study shows that how patients cope affects their personality disorder scores over time. Problem-focused coping and social support improve scores, while dysfunctional coping worsens them.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Personality disorders are complex mental health conditions.
  • Understanding factors influencing their long-term change is crucial for effective treatment.
  • Dispositional coping styles are individual patterns of responding to stress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prospective influence of dispositional coping styles on changes in personality disorders.
  • To examine the long-term effects of coping on Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-II) personality disorder scores.

Main Methods:

  • Follow-up study design.
  • Sample of 155 psychiatric outpatients assessed twice, 6 and 7 years post-admission.
  • Analysis of dispositional coping styles and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-II) personality disorder scores.

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Main Results:

  • Coping styles prospectively predicted changes in most MCMI-II personality disorders.
  • Problem-focused coping and seeking social support were associated with improved MCMI-II scores.
  • Dysfunctional coping styles (self-distraction, disengagement, substance use, emotion venting) worsened MCMI-II personality disorder scores.
  • Coping effects were specific to individual personality disorders.
  • Sex and age did not significantly affect the outcome.

Conclusions:

  • Dispositional coping styles are significant predictors of long-term personality disorder trajectories.
  • Promoting adaptive coping strategies like problem-solving and social support may mitigate personality disorder severity.
  • Interventions targeting dysfunctional coping mechanisms are essential for improving patient outcomes in personality disorder treatment.