Clinical and Psychological Characteristics of Young Men with Military Adaptation Issues Referred for a Psychiatric Evaluation in South Korea: Latent Profile Analysis of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 and Temperament and Character Inventory

The association of impulsivity with depression and anxiety symptoms: A transdiagnostic network analysis and replication

BACKGROUND

Impulsivity increases the risk for depression and anxiety. However, the granular pathways among them remain unknown. A network approach that moves from disorder-level analysis to symptom-level analysis can provide further understanding of psychopathological mechanisms. In this study, we examined the network structure of impulsivity and separate and comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety.

METHODS

Regularized partial-correlation networks were estimated using cross-sectional data from 1047 Chinese participants aged 18-26 years (main dataset, mean age = 21.45 ± 2.01 years) and 325 Chinese participants aged 18-36 years (an independent replication dataset, mean age = 21.49 ± 3.73 years), including impulsivity-depression, impulsivity-anxiety, and impulsivity-depression-anxiety networks. The datasets were collected from 1 June 2023 to 4 August 2023 and from 27 April 2022 to 16 May 2022, respectively. Impulsivity, depression, and anxiety were assessed using Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Version 11, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, respectively. Bridge centrality was analyzed, and a network comparison test (NCT) was conducted to investigate the differences between the main dataset and replication dataset.

RESULTS

The motor impulsivity dimension was revealed to be closely connected with individual symptoms of depression and anxiety regardless of whether they were in separate disorder forms or comorbid forms. In all the networks, motor impulsivity was the most important bridge node. The NCT showed comparable network connectivity and network structure between the main and replication datasets.

LIMITATIONS

The use of cross-sectional data limited the inferences about the direction of causality between variables.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings elucidate the psychopathological mechanisms underlying how impulsivity functions within depression, anxiety, and comorbidity and support that motor impulsivity is an important risk factor across different mental disorders and is responsible for comorbidity. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Latent Classes based on Clinical Symptoms of Military Recruits with Mental Health Issues and Their Distinctive Clinical Responses to Treatment over 6 Months

Objective

: This study aimed (1) to identify distinct subgroups of psychiatric patients referred for a mental health certificate for military service suitability and (2) to determine whether there is a difference in clinical features such as treatment responsiveness and prognosis among certain subgroups.

Methods

: We conducted latent profile analysis (LPA) using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) clinical profiles of the participants. Linear mixed model analysis was performed to examine changes in the severity of clinical symptoms and functional level according to the treatment period of the latent classes derived from the LPA.

Results

: The results indicated that the best-fitting model was a three-class model, comprising Class 1 (mild maladjustment), Class 2 (neurotic depression and anxiety), and Class 3 (highly vulnerable and hypervigilant). We demonstrated that the three subgroups displayed different characteristics in treatment responsiveness and clinical course based on their Clinical Global Impression-Severity and Global Assessment of Functioning scores over a treatment period of 6 months. While subjects in Classes 1 and 2 significantly improved over 6 months, those in Class 3 showed little or no improvement in our clinical parameters.

Conclusion

: This study has yielded data with clinical implications for treatment planning and interventions for each subgroup classified that were based on MMPI-2 clinical profiles of military recruits who might be maladjusted to serve.

Association between personality profiles and symptomatology patterns based on TCI and MMPI-2-RF in a transdiagnostic psychiatric sample: A person-centered approach

BACKGROUND

The temperament and character dimensions of personality appear to be networking structures that interact nonlinearly. Previous studies have attempted to classify temperament and character subtypes using a person-centered approach but have been unable to explore the relationship between the combination of temperament and character and psychopathology patterns in a transdiagnostic sample. The purpose of this study was to examine how symptomatology patterns differ according to individuals' personality profiles, employing a psychobiological model in a transdiagnostic psychiatric sample.

METHODS

Participants were 1881 patients who visited the psychiatry department of a major medical hospital in Seoul, Korea, and completed both the Temperament Character Inventory (TCI) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructed Form (MMPI-2-RF) as part of their psychological evaluation. We performed two separate latent profile analyses using four temperament and four character indicators of the TCI to identify personality profiles and nine restructured clinical scales of the MMPI-2-RF to identify symptom patterns.

RESULTS

Five personality classes emerged: "vulnerable-maladaptive," "stable-adaptive," "average," "inhibited-neurotic," and "impulsive-irrational." Moreover, six symptom classes emerged: "non-distressed," "depressed," "emotionally-distressed," "average," "dysfunctional thoughts," and "confused." The personality profiles comprising a combination of rigid temperament and immature character were related to patterns of more severe subjective pain and symptoms. However, profiles with less rigid temperament and less immature character exhibited more diverse symptom patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

This study examined the relationship between personality profiles and symptomatology patterns, suggesting that understanding patients' personality profiles may be helpful in predicting symptom manifestation and establishing treatment plans.

Correlations between Personality Traits, Patient-Reported Outcome, and Chronic Prostatitis Symptoms in Men with Different Premature Ejaculation Syndromes

Although the personality traits (PT), patient-reported outcome (PRO), and chronic prostatitis (CP) symptoms in premature ejaculation (PE) have been evaluated, there was no study to assess their correlations in men with different PE syndromes. The purpose of this study was to assess the correlations between the PT, PRO, and CP symptoms in men with different PE syndromes. Between January 2019 and January 2021, a cross-sectional field study was conducted in our andrology clinic. Men with the complaints of PE were divided into lifelong PE (LPE), acquired PE (APE), variable PE (VPE), and subjective PE (SPE). All subjects were required to complete a verbal questionnaire with the PRO, National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-R). Finally, 479 men with the complaints of PE and 365 without the complaints of PE were enrolled. The incidence of PE syndromes in PE complaint group was as follows: LPE 16.70%, APE 48.85%, VPE 11.27%, and SPE 23.17%. Mean ages in PE complaint group were 42.53 ± 12.25 years. In the PE complaint group, the novelty seeking (NS) scores were strongest correlated with the personal distress and quality of life (QOL). The harm avoidance (HA) scores were strongest correlated with the severity of PE and pain syndromes. The self-transcendence (ST) scores were strongest correlated with the satisfaction with sexual intercourse and QOL. In addition, strongest association between the total scores of NIH-CPSI and the NS or ST scores was also found in the APE group. The HA scores were also strongest correlated with the total scores of NIH-CPSI in SPE. Strongest association between the total scores of NIH-CPSI and the NS/TI or ST/CI scores was also found in the APE group. The HA/TI scores were also strongest correlated with the total scores of NIH-CPSI in SPE.