Internalizing and externalizing symptoms and aggression and violence in men and women

Literature linking aggressive behavior across internalizing and externalizing disorders support the co-occurrence of aggression and various mental health diagnoses. However, research has yet to examine relationships between aggression and dimensional psychopathology models that cut across diagnostic boundaries (e.g., internalizing, externalizing composites) and capture shared liability across common disorders. The role of gender has also been largely ignored in prior work, despite evidence that men and women manifest psychopathology differently. The present study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between psychopathology composites (i.e., Internalizing, Externalizing) and different manifestations of physical aggression (i.e., aggressive traits, general violence, physical intimate partner violence, and self-directed aggression), as well as moderation by gender. Internalizing (INT) and Externalizing (EXT) lifetime symptoms and various physically aggressive behaviors were assessed at baseline and at 6 months and 1 year follow up in a sample of 319 adults with violence and/or substance use histories. Cross-sectional results showed that INT was associated with all forms of aggression, and women showed stronger relationships between INT and both physical intimate partner violence (IPV) and self-directed aggression. EXT was specifically linked to general violence, and a stronger relationship between EXT and self-directed aggression emerged in men compared to women. Longitudinal relationships were mostly small and nonsignificant. Results support the co-occurrence of aggression with distinct forms of psychopathology, as well as gender-dependent relationships, but do not support the predictive validity of symptom composites in aggression risk. Findings implicate the need for aggression interventions tailored within gender.

Psychometric Properties of the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory: Replication and Extension across Clinical and Non-Clinical Samples

The Externalizing Spectrum Inventory aims at assessing personality features that underlie externalizing disorders such as substance abuse and antisocial behaviors. The objective was to replicate the psychometric properties of the 160-item Externalizing Spectrum Inventory in Dutch clinical and non-clinical samples. First, Cronbach's alpha, test-retest reliability and the factor structure were analyzed on a mixed sample of inpatients (n = 149), undergraduates (n = 227), and community participants (n = 178). The factor structure was evaluated through confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses; for the latter Parallel Analysis was used, based on Minimum Rank Factor Analysis. Next, the criterion validity was analyzed using the Aggression Questionnaire and the NEO-Five Factor Inventory as external measures. The Dutch Externalizing Spectrum Inventory subscales showed sufficient reliability (α=.68-.94; ICC=.68-.91), except in the undergraduate sample (α=.49-.96; ICC=.43-.97). The factor structure of the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory was not confirmed and the exploratory analysis yielded different factor solutions across samples. The criterion validity was supported with regard to trait aggression and partly supported with regard to the Five Factor Model. The results suggest that the ESI-160 and its original factor model can be used for prediction purposes. However, further research of the factor structure is strongly recommended.

The Salience of Antisocial Personality Disorder for Predicting Substance Use and Violent Behavior: The Moderating Role of Deviant Peers

Deviant peer association and antisocial personality disorder are risk factors for drug use and violent offending. However, there has yet to be research that focuses on how deviant peer association may moderate the impact of antisocial personality disorder on these outcomes. Data from Wave 10 of the Pathways to Desistance dataset were used in analyses. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate the effects of covariates on violent offending. Ordered logistic regression was used to estimate the effects of covariates on substance use outcomes. Results indicated that deviant peer association moderated the impact of antisocial personality disorder on violent offending frequency and marijuana use frequency. The direction of this interaction effect was positive for marijuana use. The direction of this moderation was negative for violent offending, indicating that antisocial personality disorder–diagnosed individuals commit fewer violent offenses at similar levels of deviant peer association as nonafflicted participants.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and having antisocial peers in adolescence are risk factors for the development of antisocial personality disorder

Antisocial personality disorder is a mental illness that is a major public health concern. Both post-traumatic stress disorder and association with antisocial peers have been found to be associated with increased risk for diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. Despite this, past research has yet to examine the interrelatedness of these three constructs from a developmental perspective. This study sought to examine the effect of post-traumatic stress disorder in adolescence on the risk for antisocial personality disorder diagnosis in adulthood and the relevance of differences in developmental patterns of degree of association with antisocial peers in adolescence as an additional risk factor. The Pathways to Desistance data were used in analyses, comprising the longitudinal responses of 1,354 juvenile offenders who had recently been adjudicated for a serious offense prior to baseline measurement. Logistic regression was used to examine these relationships. Ever meeting criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder in adolescence significantly increased the odds of developing antisocial personality disorder in adulthood. This effect was no longer significant upon inclusion of variables pertaining to association with antisocial peers. Implications are discussed.

The Roles of Family Factors and Relationship Dynamics on Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration Among College Men and Women in Emerging Adulthood

Using data from the International Dating Violence Study, this study examined the roles of early socialization, family social structure, and relationship dynamics factors on physical aggression in dating among U.S. college students in emerging adulthood. The interaction effects between these three domains of interest (early socialization, family social structure, and relationship dynamics) were explored to understand the underlying mechanisms that influenced victimization and perpetration in dating. In general, we found that family and relational variables associated with dating victimization and perpetration were fairly similar. Among the early socialization variables, experience of childhood neglect and having witnessed domestic violence were significantly related to victimization and perpetration. Living in a two-parent household appeared to exert a protective effect, although associations with parental education were not statistically significant. Furthermore, the participants were more likely to experience victimization or impose aggression in dating relationships which were characterized by conflicts, distress, dominance, or psychological aggression. Overall, for the participants who came from a two-parent household, dominance in dating was linked to less violence. When the participants faced higher levels of psychological aggression, adverse early socialization factors were associated with higher levels of dating violence victimization and perpetration. Research and practice implications were discussed.

The generalizability of the structure of substance abuse and antisocial behavioral syndromes: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Although several authors have suggested that a single externalizing spectrum encompassing both antisocial behavioral syndromes and substance use disorder is to be preferred, this assumption has not been evaluated systematically throughout studies.

PURPOSE

The objective was to establish the generalizability of transdiagnostic models of externalizing disorders across different types of disorders and populations, in regard to the strength of the evidence.

METHOD

We conducted a systematic literature review using combinations of two sets of keywords: 1) "antisocial", "externalizing", "conduct disorder", "disruptive behavior disorder", "substance abuse", "substance-related disorder", "cannabis", "cocaine", "hallucinogen", "alcoholism", "opioid"; 2) "latent structure", "factor analysis", "multivariate analysis".

RESULTS

Models supporting a superordinate factor appeared dominant in a limited set of different populations, on which the majority of the research sample was focused.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the externalizing spectrum model is a promising angle for future research and treatment, extending research on this model in a higher diversity of populations is recommended to enhance the understanding and applicability of the externalizing spectrum model.

Mating Strategies and Sexual Functioning in Personality Disorders: A Comprehensive Review of Literature

INTRODUCTION

Personality disorders impair several aspects of intrapsychic and interpersonal life. In particular, mating strategies and sexual functioning could manifest in different and/or dysfunctional ways in people with personality disorders.

AIM

To describe, through a comprehensive review of the literature, the mating strategies and sexual functioning in patients with personality disorders.

METHODS

We listed and discussed the principal studies on the relation between mating strategies and sexual functioning in personality disorders. The search strategy used search terms in PubMed for the main studies published from January 2000 to December 2016.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We considered two main sections for our selection according to the aim of the present review: mating and sexuality.

RESULTS

Interesting evidence on mating strategies in personality disorders was found. In particular, the major items were found in the dramatic-unpredictable cluster, with borderline personality disorder being the most studied. In contrast, the bizarre-eccentric cluster had fewer items, with the schizoid personality disorder being the least studied. For sexual behavior, borderline personality seems to be the unique disorder sufficiently studied, with evidence of major histories of child sexual abuse, the presence of sexual dysfunctions, and paraphilic interests.

CONCLUSION

A large spectrum of mating strategies characterizes different personality disorders, although an inconsistent knowledge about the relation between sexual function and personality disorders emerged from our analysis of the literature. Hence, we invite clinicians and researchers to integrate psychodiagnostic and sexual assessments in psychiatric disciplines for people with personality disorders. Collazzoni A, Ciocca G, Limoncin E, et al. Mating Strategies and Sexual Functioning in Personality Disorders: A Comprehensive Review of Literature. Sex Med Rev 2017;5:414-428.