0000000000162088
AUTHOR
Anette Kersting
Implicit and explicit self-concept of neuroticism in borderline personality disorder
In the past, research on personality in borderline personality disorder (BPD) used primarily questionnaires suggesting heightened neuroticism in BPD. Self-report instruments inform about the conscious or explicit self-concept. BPD patients are known to show negative distortion with exaggeration of negative affect in the self-report. Neuroticism represents a risk factor for mental disorders. Indirect measures are available that tap into the implicit self-concept of neuroticism. The implicit self-concept refers to individual differences in associative representations of the self. The present study examined for the first time the implicit in addition to the explicit self-concept of neuroticism…
The latent nature of prolonged grief - A taxometric analysis: Results from a representative population sample
Individuals suffering from prolonged grief disorder (PGD) show severe grief reactions after the death of a significant other, even beyond a period of grieving that is within a person's cultural and religious context. In addition to this core element, PGD can manifest in various ways. Symptoms may include persistent preoccupation, intense emotional pain, or impairment in important life domains. The symptoms, furthermore, have to be of culturally or religiously inappropriate extent or severity, taking into account different norms of grieving. PGD is discussed as a distinct diagnostic category in the revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Nosology of PGD has been hi…
Implicitly and explicitly assessed anxiety: No relationships with recognition of and brain response to facial emotions.
Abstract Trait anxiety, the disposition to experience anxiety, is known to facilitate perception of threats. Trait anxious individuals seem to identify threatening stimuli such as fearful facial expressions more accurately, especially when presented under temporal constraints. In past studies on anxiety and emotion face recognition, only self-report or explicit measures of anxiety have been administered. Implicit measures represent indirect tests allowing to circumvent problems associated with self-report. In our study, we made use of implicit in addition to explicit measures to investigate the relationships of trait anxiety with recognition of and brain response to emotional faces. 75 heal…
Effects of stepped psychooncological care on referral to psychosocial services and emotional well-being in cancer patients: A cluster-randomized phase III trial
Objective Emotional distress in cancer patients often goes unnoticed in daily routine; therefore, distress screening is now recommended in many national guidelines. However, screening alone does not necessarily translate into better well-being. We examined whether stepped psychooncological care improves referral to consultation-liaison (CL) services and improves well-being. Methods In a cluster-randomized trial, wards were randomly allocated to stepped versus standard care. Stepped care comprised screening for distress, consultation between doctor and patient about the patient's need for CL services, and provision of CL service. Primary outcomes were referral to psychosocial services and em…
Depression, anxiety and health status across different BMI classes: A representative study in Germany
Abstract Background Changes in body mass index (BMI) over the course of one's lifetime are related to the development of mental disorders. In the current study we compared symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety as well as general health status in the four BMI-classes: underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity. Furthermore, mediator role of general health status on the relationship between BMI and depression and generalized anxiety was analyzed. Methods A representative sample (random-route sampling) of the German population (N = 2350) was investigated in a cross-sectional survey by measuring the three questionnaires PHQ-9, GAD-7 and EQ-5D-5L. Results The results showed signifi…
Automatic brain response to facial emotion as a function of implicitly and explicitly measured extraversion.
Extraversion/introversion is a basic dimension of personality that describes individual differences in social behavior and sensory sensitivity. Previous neuroimaging research exclusively relied on self reports for assessing personality traits. In recent years, implicit measures of personality have been developed that aim at assessing the implicit self-concept of personality and complement self report instruments which are thought to measure aspects of the explicit self-concept of personality. In the present study functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine automatic brain reactivity to facial expression as a function of both implicitly and explicitly measured extraversion in 3…
Alexithymia and the implicit self-concept of extraversion in women
Abstract Findings from studies using self-reports suggest a negative association between the personality traits of alexithymia and extraversion. Self-report measures are assumed to assess aspects of the explicit self-concept of personality. Indirect measures, such as the Implicit Association Test (IAT), were developed to tap into the implicit self-concept of personality. The present study examined for the first time the relationship between self-reported alexithymia and the implicit self-concept of extraversion. The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and an Implicit Association Test (IAT) assessing extraversion were administered to 86 healthy women along with the NEO Five-factor Inventory (N…
Factors associated with non-participation and dropout among cancer patients in a cluster-randomised controlled trial
We investigated the impact of demographic and disease related factors on non-participation and dropout in a cluster-randomised behavioural trial in cancer patients with measurements taken between hospitalisation and 6 months thereafter. The percentages of non-participation and dropout were documented at each time point. Factors considered to be potentially related with non-participation and dropout were as follows: age, sex, marital status, education, income, employment status, tumour site and stage of disease. Of 1,338 eligible patients, 24% declined participation at baseline. Non-participation was higher in older patients (Odds Ratio [OR] 2.1, CI: 0.6-0.9) and those with advanced disease …
Attachment anxiety and implicit self-concept of neuroticism: Associations in women but not men
Abstract Previous research has shown that adult attachment-related anxiety is associated with the explicit self-concept of neuroticism. It remains to be clarified whether attachment anxiety is related to the implicit self-concept of neuroticism. There is evidence that gender can moderate the strength of correlation between implicit and explicit measures. The Experiences in Close Relationships scale and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) were administered to 106 healthy adults along with an Implicit Association Test assessing neuroticism. Attachment anxiety correlated with NEO-FFI neuroticism, regardless of gender. Attachment anxiety was correlated with neuroticism as measured by the IA…