Dimensional Models of Personality: A Framework for Systematic Clinical Assessment1

Abstract

Personality research has made considerable progress in developing dimensional models. This article reviews the application of these trait models to clinical theory and practice. Assessment of traits is useful for understanding the individual client, for diagnosis and therapy, and for tailoring the clinical interview to the needs of the patient. Dimensional models have been applied to several areas of pathology. Neuroticism and a variety of other traits are implicated in subclinical stress reactions. At the process level, the effects of traits such as neuroticism may be mediated by maladaptive coping strategies. Traits such as neuroticism may also have a causal effect on more severe mood and anxiety disorders, although it is likely that there are reciprocal linkages between personality and pathology. As with subclinical stress, traits may influence depression and anxiety through abnormality of cognitive processes, the clinical significance of which should be assessed in the light of the individual's trait characteristics. A further area of application is personality disorder: Dimensional models capture and clarify the principal clinical features of conditions such as schizoid and antisocial disorders. It is concluded that the dimensional approach provides a framework for the systematic understanding of clinical expressions of abnormality in personality and their implications for diagnosis and treatment.

Personality and stress

“…Currently, such mechanisms may be derived from the Big Five system only in part, because the Big Five are not based on any overarching theory. Here, the facets of the Big Five system and other narrow bandwidth traits, such as Optimism, Locus of control, etc., may serve as the links for modeling how different emotions, goals, inclinations, and needs express and regulate themselves in various situations (Costa & McCrae, 1998;Matthews, Saklofske, Costa, Deary & Zeidner, 1998). An important theoretical and empirical task in future will be to derive systems of stress producing mechanisms and their functions on the basis of these traits.…”

“…This process aims at the selfregulation of the personality in specific stress situations according to its own goals, needs, inclinations, and reaction tendencies (Ptacek & Gross, 1997). A redefinition could help to overcome the current deficit in the theory and taxonomy of coping as well as yield more precise predictions of how certain personality types cope under specific stressful conditions (Matthews et al, 1998). Taxonomically, coping # 2001 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.…”

Exploring Individual Factors Associated with Critical Incidents in a Secure Psychiatric Setting: A Preliminary Study

“…These are openness, agreeableness, neuroticism, extraversion and conscientiousness (Hart, Stasson, Mahoney, & Story, 2007). Individuals in non-clinical or forensic samples high in neuroticism have been found to use more unhelpful coping skills and to focus more on their emotions (Matthews, Saklofske, Costa, Deary, & Zeidner, 1998). Mentally disordered forensic populations (McMurran et al, 2001) have presented with high neuroticism associated with significantly poor problem-solving skills, with increased scores on the remaining four personality factors related to effective problem solving.…”

Severe obesity and personality: a comparative controlled study of personality traits

“…1 According to this definition personality may, at least partly, be related to lifestyle and eating behaviour, and therefore also to obesity.…”