The objective of the study was to aid an understanding of women’s experiences of living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with special consideration of the role of stigma and gender-specific issues. Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with five women aged 32 to 50 years, all diagnosed with ADHD as adults. The interviews were analyzed in accordance with thematic analysis. The data analyses were centered around five core themes: (a) from unidentified childhood ADHD to adult diagnosis, (b) present main symptoms and challenges, (c) conflict between ADHD symptoms and gender norms and expectations, (d) stigma of ADHD: “People think it’s a fake disease,” and (e) managing ADHD symptoms and identifying strengths. Despite their difficulties, all participants are highly educated and employed, and differ from common portrayals of individuals with ADHD as observably hyperactive, disruptive, or globally impaired. The participants are reluctant about disclosure of their diagnosis, due to fear of negative judgment and lack of understanding from others. The findings highlight the importance of recognizing and targeting ADHD as a serious disorder that yields continuing, and even increasing, impairment in multiple areas into adulthood. Gender-specific issues of ADHD need to be examined further, particularly challenges associated with motherhood. Stigma and the conflict between ADHD symptoms and gender norms complicate women’s experiences of living with ADHD, and should be essential areas of focus in research, educational settings, and the media.

In healthy populations men report more depressive symptoms than women when depression is measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). This study aims to investigate the role of neuroticism and extroversion in symptom reporting by men and women and whether anhedonia can explain these reversed gender differences in depression observed when using HADS. HADS, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO FFI) were administered twice to a sample of university students. Number of subjects at T1 was 372 and 160 at T2, measured two months apart. Men had a higher average score on depressive symptoms measured by HADS-D compared to women (p = 0.029). Women scored higher than men on HADS-A (p = 0.012), neuroticism (p < 0.001) and PANAS-negative affect (p < 0.029). No significant gender differences were observed in extroversion and positive affect. Test-retest stabilities on HADS-A and HADS-D were high. Neuroticism predicted HADS-A at Time 2. Gender, extroversion, and neuroticism predicted HADS-D at Time 2. The anhedonic content in HADS may be a plausible explanation of reversed gender differences in the HADS depression scale. HADS-D represents a specific anhedonic subtype of depression where symptom reporting reflects dispositional tendencies related specifically to extroversion.

This article re-examines the relation between The Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-64C) and the Five-Factor Model of personality, using both normative and statistic ipsative scores in the partitioning of the IIP-64C item set. A non-clinical sample (n = 132) completed the NEO-FFI personality inventory and the IIP-64C. In accordance with previous studies, Agreeableness and Extraversion were linked with IIP-64C, regardless of type of partitioning of the IIP-64C item set. Neuroticism had a strong association with interpersonal problems based on normative scores, but statistic ipsation removed this association. While the normative IIP-64C scores did not confirm the structural properties of the Circumplex model, the ipsatized scores did. In conclusion, the use of statistical ipsation of the IIP-64C could be a useful addition to traditional personality assessment procedures.

Background: This study investigates insomnia as a partial mediator in the relationship between personality and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Methods: The study is based on partly longitudinal data from the ongoing cohort study “Survey of Shift work, Sleep, and Health” (SUSSH) among Norwegian nurses, a survey examining the work situation and health status of Norwegian nurses measured with annual questionnaires. The present study uses data collected in 2012 (Wave 4), 2013 (Wave 5), and 2014 (Wave 6). The final sample at Wave 6 consisted of 2002 participants, of which 91% were females. The questionnaires included items measuring, among others, demographic variables, work time schedule, insomnia (Bergen Insomnia Scale), personality (Mini-IPIP) and anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Results: Extraversion and conscientiousness had no significant direct or indirect association with insomnia, anxiety or depression. Neuroticism and insomnia had direct associations to future symptoms of anxiety and depression. Insomnia was also a significant partial mediator of the relationship between both neuroticism and anxiety, and neuroticism and depression, meaning that neuroticism had an indirect relation to symptoms of anxiety and depression through insomnia. When adjusting for previous symptoms of anxiety and depression at Wave 5, insomnia was no longer a significant mediator between neuroticism and anxiety, and only marginally mediated the relationship between neuroticism and depression. Conclusion: The results showed that insomnia may act as a mediator between neuroticism and symptoms of anxiety and depression, but the indirect relationship between neuroticism and anxiety and depression through insomnia is considerably weaker than the direct association. Hence, the mediating effect of insomnia should be interpreted with caution. The sample mainly consisted of female nurses, and the generalizability of the findings to male dominated occupations is limited. Findings from the present study highlight the importance of an integrated approach and strengthen the understanding of how personality and psychopathology are connected.

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Background Intensive treatments have shown encouraging results in the treatment of several psychological disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, qualitative studies on patient experiences with intensive treatment for PTSD remain scarce. Objective The aim of this study was to explore patient experiences with an intensive, outpatient treatment for PTSD and to discover important factors behind treatment feasibility. Method Eight participants were recruited from two groups of patients having completed the intensive treatment programme. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted, and data sets were analysed using thematic analysis. Results The main result indicated that patients experienced the treatment as very demanding, but still worth the effort in terms of reducing symptoms. The intensity was valued as useful. Participants emphasized the sense of unity with other participants as well as physical activity as important factors for completion of the treatment programme. The rotation of therapists was also highlighted as important for treatment efficacy. Conclusions This study provides insights into what the patients experienced and emphasized as important aspects of treatment and essential factors for completing treatment. The main conclusions were that all of the patients evaluated the treatment as demanding, but the reward of reduced symptoms made it worthwhile. The high frequency of therapy sessions and the therapist rotation were reported to counteract avoidance and increase the patients’ commitment to therapy. Physical activity and unity in the group were highlighted as essential for treatment feasibility. HIGHLIGHTS • High treatment intensity enabled increased focus and adherence, and reduced avoidance. Therapist rotation led to heightened intensity and new learning experiences. • Physical activity and sense of unity through group elements were reported as important factors for treatment feasibility.

The aim of this paper is to summarise and evaluate the empirical support for the association between anxiety and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to address challenges related to method and study design. We review results from meta-analyses and more recent findings on the association of anxiety and the risk of CVD. Depression and anxiety are often listed as psychosocial risk markers of CVD, but the role of anxiety as a risk factor for CVD has not received the same evidential support as the effects of depression. Through a narrative review we identified six meta-analyses as well as 15 recent large studies of anxiety and CVD that we summarise. Some of the conflicting findings may be artefacts of study design or population the sample is drawn from. Researchers should take care to be population specific, measurement specific and outcome specific, and to control for comorbid depression.

The aim of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties of the Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) and look at facets of extraversion as predictors of anhedonia. SHAPS is hypothesized to be multidimensional, stable over time in a nonclinical sample, and related to extraversion on both dimension and facet level. Data collection was conducted at baseline ( N = 362) and at a 10-week follow-up ( N = 94). The structural properties of SHAPS were analyzed using principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Multiple regression explored facets of extraversion as predictors of anhedonia. The results show that SHAPS is stable across time ( r = .71, p < .001), with high internal consistency (α = .89). In the principal component analysis, a two-factor model emerged (Social and Physical anhedonia). The confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the two-factor model consisting of Physical anhedonia (α = .81) and Social anhedonia (α = .87) had a better fit than the one-factor model. Higher scores on Gregariousness and Positive emotions at baseline predicted higher scores on the SHAPS total and Social and Physical anhedonia ( p < .05). Lower scores on Assertiveness predicted higher scores on Social anhedonia ( p < .05). These results support the view of anhedonia as a multidimensional concept that should be regarded as a trait, rather than a state or mere bypassing symptom. The relationship between anhedonia and extroversion is best understood by applying a multidimensional approach to anhedonia and by focusing on the facet level of extroversion.