Predicting depression outcomes throughout inpatient treatment using the general and specific personality disorder factors

Impact of congenital heart disease on personality disorders in adulthood

AIMS

Adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) constitute an ever-growing patient population characterized by high risks for cardiovascular- and mental disorders. Personality disorders (PDs) are associated with adverse physical and mental health. Studies assessing PD prevalence in ACHD are lacking.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Personality disorder point prevalence was assessed in 210 ACHD by Structured Clinical Interview for Axis-II Personality Disorders (SCID-II) and compared to meta-analytical data from the general population (GP). Depression and anxiety were measured by self-report (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS) and clinician rating (Montgomery-Åsberg depression rating scale, MADRS). Childhood maltreatment was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and quality-of-life (QOL) with the World Health Organization QOL Scale. PD prevalence was markedly higher in ACHD compared to GP (28.1 vs. 7.7%). Particularly borderline (4.8 vs. 0.9%) and cluster C (i.e. anxious or fearful; 17.1 vs. 3.0%) PDs were overrepresented. PD diagnosis was associated with a surgery age ≤12 years (χ²(1) = 7.861, ϕ = 0.195, P = 0.005) and higher childhood trauma levels (U = 2583.5, Z = -3.585, P < 0.001). ACHD with PD reported higher anxiety (HADS-A: U = 2116.0, Z = -5.723, P < 0.001) and depression (HADS-D: U = 2254.5, Z = -5.392, P < 0.001; MADRS: U = 2645.0, Z = -4.554, P < 0.001) levels and lower QOL (U = 2538.5, Z = -4.723, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Personality disorders, particularly borderline- and cluster C, are significantly more frequent in ACHD compared to GP and associated with depression, anxiety, and decreased QOL. Data from the GP suggest an association with adverse cardiometabolic and mental health. To ensure guideline-based treatment, clinicians should be aware of the increased PD risk in ACHD.

Differential Effects of Psychological Interventions in Online and Face-to-Face Settings on DSM-5 and ICD-11 Maladaptive Trait Domains: An Exploratory Pilot Study

While mental health treatments have proven to be effective for a range of mental health problems, there is comparably little research on its effects on personality disorders or difficulty (PD). New dimensional conceptualizations of PD such as the ICD-11 PD model enable the cost- and time-effective dimensional assessment of severity and style of PD. Furthermore, they constitute a promising tool to investigate PD, not only as a treatment endpoint but also as a predictive or influencing factor for mental health treatments. In this study, we investigated the effects in two different mental health treatment settings [online (N = 38); face-to-face and blended [FTF/blended] (N = 35)] on the reduction of maladaptive personality traits as well as the interaction between maladaptive personality patterns and the response on primary endpoints (i.e., mental distress). Results indicate that both treatment settings have comparable within-group effects on the reduction of distress symptoms, while the treatment in the FTF/blended setting seems to have a stronger impact on the reduction of maladaptive traits. Further, reduction of maladaptive trait expressions was a reliable predictor of treatment response in the FTF/blended setting while explaining less variance in the online setting. Beyond the promising findings on the utility of maladaptive trait change as an outcome measure, we discuss possible applications as an information source for treatment decisions.