Analysis of personality traits and their influence on the quality of life of postmenopausal women with regard to genetic factors

Emotional dysregulation, alexithymia and neuroticism: a systematic review on the genetic basis of a subset of psychological traits

Neuroticism, alexithymia and emotion dysregulation are key traits and known risk factors for several psychiatric conditions. In this systematic review, the aim is to evaluate the genetic contribution to these psychological phenotypes. A systematic review of articles found in PubMed was conducted. Search terms included 'genetic', 'GWAS', 'neuroticism', 'alexithymia' and 'emotion dysregulation'. Risk of bias was assessed utilizing the STREGA checklist. Two hundred two papers were selected from existing literature based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among these, 27 were genome-wide studies and 175 were genetic association studies. Single gene association studies focused on selected groups of genes, mostly involved in neurotransmission, with conflicting results. GWAS studies on neuroticism, on the other hand, found several relevant and replicated intergenic and intronic loci affecting the expression and regulation of crucial and well-known genes (such as DRD2 and CRHR1). Mutations in genes coding for trascriptional factors were also found to be associated with neuroticism (DCC, XKR6, TCF4, RBFOX1), as well as a noncoding regulatory RNA (LINC00461). On the other hand, little GWAS data are available on alexythima and emotional dysregulation.

Relationship between personality traits and sexual function in symptomatic postmenopausal women

INTRODUCTION

Female sexual function relies on a complex interplay of physical, psychosocial, and neurobiological factors. Over the last decades, increasing attention has been paid to the influence of personality traits on general health and many aspects of quality of life, including sexuality.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether dimensions of the personality are related to the domains of sexual function (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain) in symptomatic postmenopausal women. Mood was also investigated to explore its association with female sexual dysfunction (FSD).

METHODS

Validated questionnaires to assess sexual function [the Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI)], mood [the State-Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Zung Self Rating Depression Scale (SDS)], and personality traits [the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ)] were filled in by 130 early postmenopausal women experiencing hot flushes (≥30/week).

RESULTS

61.5 % (n = 80) of the women had an FSFI total score lower than 26.55, the standard cut-off for FSD. A clinical state of anxiety was present in 53.8 % (n = 70), whereas only 12.3 % (n = 16) showed clinically relevant depressive symptoms. According to the FSFI cut-off score, women with sexual disorders had statistically significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression (p < 0.001 for both), and harm avoidance (HA) (p = 0.004) than women without such disorders. Significantly higher levels of anxiety were found in women in the lower quartile (LQ) of the distribution of the total FSFI score than in women in both the interquartile range (IQR) and in the upper quartile (UQ) (p < 0.05). Moreover, women in the UQ had a lower grade of depression and HA than others (p < 0.05). The Sobel test showed that the personality trait HA significantly mediated the relationship between anxiety and FSFI total score (Z = -2.19, p < 0.05) and between depression and FSFI total score (Z = -2.35, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The present data suggest the personality trait HA is relevant to sexual function and mediates the impact of mood on FSD in symptomatic menopausal women. In clinical practice, the use of validated psychometric tools for mood screening is useful to establish appropriate diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders in menopausal women. Moreover, the assessment of personality traits could provide additional information that directs clinicians towards an increasingly tailored and multidimensional treatment of FSD.

Examination of associations between personality traits, and polymorphisms of MAO-A and 5-HTT with the severity of menopausal symptoms and depression levels

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between different personality traits with monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) and serotonin transporter (5-HTT), and to examine their effects on the severity of menopause symptoms as well as the levels of depression in menopausal women. The study was designed as an analytical cross-sectional study, performed on 132 healthy post-menopausal women in Iran. Personality was assessed using the Revised Edition of the NEO Personality Index (Neuroticism-Extroversion-Openness-Five Factor Inventory). The symptoms score sheet, used for measuring menopausal symptoms, was used to classify the participants according to their menopausal symptoms. Furthermore, Beck Depression Inventory short version was also used to assess depressive symptoms. Examination of blood samples taken from all participants was to identify DNA polymorphisms of 5-HTT using PCR. The results of the present study showed that a high level of neuroticism (P<0.0001), low levels of extroversion (P<0.002), an openness to experience (P=0.039) and conscientiousness (P=0.001) were all positively associated with the severity of menopausal symptoms. In addition, a high level of neuroticism (P<0.0001), low levels of extroversion (P<0.0001), and a low level of agreeableness (P<0.024) and conscientiousness (P<0.0001) were all positively associated with depressive symptoms. There was no statistically significant association between MAO-A and 5-HTT polymorphisms with menopause and depression scores. Based on these results, there appears to be a significant association between personality traits with both depression and menopausal symptoms. Identification of homogeneous groups of women who are predisposed to depression and severe menopausal symptoms may allow for the implementation of early prevention programs.

Personality Traits, Clinical Characteristics, and Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients with Hypertension in a Primary Hospital in Ghana

Background

Hypertension is a major health problem that remains a significant threat to the health and general wellbeing of many people all over the world. In some patients, the etiology and prognosis of hypertension have been linked to psychological factors including personality traits. One primary goal of management is to improve the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with hypertension. This study aimed to examine the association between personality traits, clinical characteristics, and HRQoL in hypertension.

Methods

A hospital-based cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in a sample of 331 individuals with hypertension. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical information, personality traits, and HRQoL were obtained from participants using an interviewer administered questionnaire.

Results

The number of participants with a 1-10 years' duration of diagnosis for hypertension was highest (56.8%), with 52.9% having comorbidities such as diabetes (40.2%) and dyslipidaemia (20.9%). The average number of medications taken per patient was 2.14 (SD±0.79) and about 47.1% of the participants reported adequate medication adherence. Significant associations for age, education, monthly income, number of years with hypertension, and HRQoL were observed. While conscientiousness was significantly associated with all HRQoL domains, extraversion and agreeableness were significantly related to only the environmental domain.

Conclusion

This study has demonstrated that clinical characteristics and patients' perception of their personality are relevant to their health-related quality of life outcomes. The findings suggest that when intervention efforts to improve the quality of life of patients with hypertension are being considered, a biopsychosocial approach should be employed. The implication is that treatment of hypertension in Ghana should be broadened to include the expertise of mental health professionals.

Personality variables modify the relationship between childhood maltreatment history and poor functional outcomes

Childhood maltreatment history is a prevalent risk factor for substance use disorder and has lifelong adverse consequences on psychiatric wellbeing. The role of personality variations in determining childhood maltreatment-associated outcomes is poorly understood. This study sought to test neuroticism and agreeableness as mediator and moderator, respectively, of functional outcomes associated with having a history of childhood maltreatment and presence/absence of cocaine dependence. Ninety-four participants completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). The distribution-of-the-product strategy tested if neuroticism mediated the relationship between CTQ and ASI scores. Agreeableness was tested as a moderator using bootstrapped multiple regression analyses with agreeableness*CTQ interaction terms as predictors of ASI scores. Analyses covaried for cocaine dependence to determine its influence. Neuroticism mediated the relationship between severity of childhood maltreatment history and family (ASI-Family) and psychiatric (ASI-Psychiatric) dysfunction in adulthood, independent of cocaine dependence. Agreeableness negatively moderated the effect of childhood maltreatment severity on family dysfunction. Exposure to emotional neglect and abuse selectively drove the mediation and moderation effects. Personality-directed interventions that reduce neuroticism or increase agreeableness may be promising approaches to uncouple childhood maltreatment history from lifelong social and psychiatric dysfunction.

The correlation between menopausal complaints and personality traits

PURPOSE

Aim is to investigate the correlation between personality traits of menopausal women and their menopausal complaints.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This cross-sectional and correlation study was conducted with 400 menopausal Turkish women.

FINDINGS

A positive correlation was determined between extroversion/introversion scores of Cervantes Personality Scale (CPS) and somatic and urogenital subscale scores of Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), and between emotional instability/neuroticism scores of CPS and all subscale scores of MRS.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Considering the effect of personality traits on menopausal symptoms, affected groups can be identified in advance and menopausal complaints can be reduced by increasing support.