Pathological personality, relationship satisfaction, and intimate partner aggression: Analyses using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, alternative model of personality disorder traits

The influence of trauma symptoms on interpersonal attributions in daily life

There is well-documented evidence that trauma exposure can disrupt relationships. However, limited research has examined whether posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) moderate interpersonal processes in daily life. To this end, undergraduates (N = 98) completed a measure of PTSS at baseline. They then completed smartphone-based surveys after every interpersonal interaction that lasted longer than 3 min. for 10 days. These surveys assessed perceptions of self and other agency and communion as well as feelings of rejection, neglect, abandonment, worthlessness, emptiness, guilt, and shame. Results of multilevel modeling suggest that interpersonal perception and PTSS predicted 10%-26% of the variance in outcomes. Regarding agency, more agentic participants reported higher levels of negative attributions, γs = .47-.56. Participants also reported higher rejection and guilt when they experienced their interaction partner as more agentic than usual, γs = .07, and PTSS did not moderate these associations. For communal perceptions, participants who experienced themselves and others as warmer than other participants reported fewer negative outcomes, γs = -.44--.58. Individuals also reported more negative outcomes when they experienced themselves and others as warmer than they usually did, γs = -.10--.28, and PTSS moderated these associations. The negative associations between self- and other communion ratings and feelings of neglect, abandonment, and shame were stronger in individuals with higher PTSS scores. Together, these findings support continued efforts to understand the ways in which trauma exposure and PTSS disrupt interpersonal dynamics in daily life.

Using the Personality Assessment Inventory to Assess the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders: Criterion Validity in a Clinical Sample

The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) is a broadband measure of psychopathology that is widely used in applied settings. Researchers developed regression-based estimates that use the PAI to measure constructs of the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) - a hybrid dimensional and categorical approach to conceptualizing personality disorders. Although prior work has linked these estimates to formal measures of the AMPD, there is little work investigating the clinical correlates of this scoring approach of the PAI. The current study examines associations between these PAI-based AMPD estimates and life data in a large, archival dataset of psychiatric outpatients and inpatients. We found general support for the criterion validity of AMPD estimate scores, such that a theoretically consistent pattern of associations emerged with indicators such as prior academic achievement, antisocial behavior, psychiatric history, and substance abuse. These results provide preliminary support to this scoring approach for use in clinical samples.

Social anhedonia, communication, and marital satisfaction in newlywed couples

OBJECTIVE

Social anhedonia is associated with disinterest in social interactions and poor relationship functioning, yet little is known about the specific mechanisms underlying associations between social anhedonia and romantic relationship behaviors and satisfaction. We examined the links between social anhedonia, perceptions of conflict communication patterns, and marital satisfaction.

METHOD

The current research examined the role of social anhedonia on marital quality and functioning longitudinally across a year in a sample of 100 newlywed couples using an actor-partner interdependence framework.

RESULTS

Social anhedonia was negatively associated with own and partner's marital satisfaction. It was also negatively associated with constructive communication and positively associated with destructive communication. Furthermore, cross-sectional mediation analyses showed that communication patterns mediated the social anhedonia-satisfaction link.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, these findings suggest that social anhedonia is likely to lead to lower marital satisfaction, partly through its effect on communication between partners.

Substance Use and Relationship Functioning Among Young Male Couples

Research shows that, for different sex couples, individual levels of substance use are deleterious for relationship quality (e.g., satisfaction, intimate partner aggression), whereas dyadic concordance is usually protective. However, there has been no research on these effects among male couples, even though they show increased risk for substance use and certain indices of relationship distress (e.g., intimate partner aggression) compared to different sex couples. Male partners also display distinct similarity patterns and norms surrounding substance use, suggesting that there might be unique effects of substance use on relationship quality among this population. We conducted actor-partner interdependence models of substance use on relationship quality (intimate partner aggression, satisfaction) among a large sample of male dyads (N = 934 individuals, N = 467 dyads). Results suggested that there are novel actor, partner, and similarity effects that imply unique pathways to relationship well-being for male couples. These results are discussed in light of future clinical and empirical efforts. [NCT03186534 - 6/12/2017; NCT03284541 - 6/23/2017].

Comparative Examination of ICD-11 and DSM-5 Alternative Model in Personality Disorders

Personality disorders tried to be explained by changing diagnoses and approaches varying from school to school throughout history. With the updated approaches and scientific developments in today's diagnostic booklets, developing and more understandable diagnostic categories for personality disorders are created. New models can be an important resource for diagnosis, treatment and common language among clinicians. Both ICD-11 and DSM-5 main part section III. have highlighted new models beyond the previous personality disorders diagnostic approach. In both models, personality disorders are examined according to severity levels and prominent personality features model. Moreover, personality disorder includes structures that take into account the course of basic personality traits such as self, identity and bilateral relations. While DSM-5 part III. Alternative model on personality disorders section has a content of 5 prominent features, 25 sub-features and functionality which are all for evaluating the disorder, the ICD-11 model includes an approach that includes five features and borderline pattern and definitions, and a 4-dimensional structure in which functionality is evaluated. Although both models include models of features that stand out in personality but not completely overlap with each other. For example, while Psychoticism finds its place as a personality trait in alternative model in section III of DSM-5, as it is not accepted in personality feature in ICD-11. In contrast, the borderline pattern is not named as a feature in DSM-5 in section III, but the ICD-11 treats the borderline pattern as a kind of feature. This is one of the important differences between the two guidelines. Similarly, the criteria by which functionality and impairment are evaluated are not compatible with each other and do not progress in parallel. This means that two different guidelines accept different severity levels as thresholds. However, it can be said that both models accept the personality disorders approach, which includes longitudinal processes in which personality traits can be seen instead of categorical models. The differences between the new models can be interpreted as an obstacle to the development of a common language in terms of diagnosis and treatment.

Partner Gender and Binegativity Uniquely Impact Relationship Quality among Bisexual Men

Romantic relationships both buffer and exacerbate adverse health outcomes among bisexual individuals, so understanding determinants of their functioning may be key to correcting health inequities affecting this population. Binegativity (i.e., prejudiced attitudes about bisexuality) expressed from one's intimate partner has the potential to be uniquely impactful for bisexuals, but it is presently unknown how this experience might impact the quality (and therefore potential health promotive effects) of their romantic relationships. In addition, gender of one's current romantic partner may shape experiences of binegativity and relationship quality in important ways. The purpose of this report was to examine how binegativity from intimate partners impacts relationship functioning (i.e., relationship satisfaction and intimate partner aggression) among bisexual men (N = 113), and how the gender of one's partner might moderate this effect. Results suggested that binegativity is detrimentally associated with relationship satisfaction, and that bisexual men in relationships with women report more frequent intimate partner aggression. Furthermore, partner gender and binegativity showed novel interactive associations with intimate partner aggression, such that bisexual men in relationships with women tended to perpetrate less intimate partner aggression when experiencing more binegativity. These results are discussed with regard to future avenues for research into the health promotive benefits of relationships for bisexual individuals.

My problem or yours? Interpersonal problems and marital quality

OBJECTIVE

Research has consistently illustrated the impact of personality on marital quality. Given the inherent dyadic nature of relationships, recent investigations have integrated spouse-rated personality to account for both spouses' perspectives. Grounded in Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory, we viewed personality through an interpersonal lens and conceptualized maladaptive interpersonal functioning as interpersonal problems. The present study examined the incremental validity of spouse-rated interpersonal problems beyond self-reported interpersonal problems to predict marital quality within an expanded actor-partner interdependence model (APIM).

METHOD

Within a community sample of heterosexual, married couples (N = 110), we used expanded APIMs, integrating both self-report and spouse-rating, to test the incremental validity of spouse-perceived interpersonal problems over self-perceived interpersonal problems on marital quality through a model comparison approach. We tested for possible gender differences in effects.

RESULTS

Spouse perception, notably spouse-rated partner effects, appears to be the most frequent predictor of marital quality, and self-perception had less impact.

CONCLUSION

Given the implications marital quality has on health and well-being, intervention efforts capitalizing on acceptance of spouses' perspectives are likely to lead to greater improvements in quality and overall health.

Pathology in Relationships

Committed, long-term romantic relationships are ubiquitous among modern society. They are one of the most important contexts for the development, maintenance, and treatment of psychopathology. In this review, I first place psychopathology within the most commonly cited theoretical model of marital satisfaction and stability and then discuss how relationship satisfaction is conceptualized and assessed in this literature. In the second half of the review, I describe the theories regarding how romantic relationships may be connected to psychopathology. Relationship distress is easily incorporated into a diathesis-stress model as an important trigger for psychopathology. Next, I review cross-sectional research, longitudinal research, and treatment efficacy research linking relationship quality and psychopathology. I provide evidence for the robustness of these effects and areas where research must expand. I finish with a summary section that synthesizes what is known about the mechanisms linking relationship distress and psychopathology.