Multidimensional Comparison of Personality Characteristics in Genetic High Risk for Schizophrenia, First Episode Psychosis and Healthy Controls.

Han, Jae Wook; Kim, Sung Nyun; Park, Jin Woo; Yun, Je Yeon; Shin, Na Young; Hur, Ji Won; Kim, Seung Won; Kwon, Jun Soo

doi:2012.15.2.73

Korean J Schizophr Res > Volume 15(2); 2012 > Article

Original Article

Korean Journal of Schizophrenia Research 2012;15(2):73-80.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.16946/kjsr.2012.15.2.73 Published online October 31, 2012.

Multidimensional Comparison of Personality Characteristics in Genetic High Risk for Schizophrenia, First Episode Psychosis and Healthy Controls.

Jae Wook Han, Sung Nyun Kim, Jin Woo Park, Je Yeon Yun, Na Young Shin, Ji Won Hur, Seung Won Kim, Jun Soo Kwon

¹Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. kwonjs@snu.ac.kr
²Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences-World Class University Program, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
³Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, SNU-MRC, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Previous studies have suggested that some personality characteristics are associated with the onset, prognosis and social function in schizophrenia patients. However few is known about the personality and affective characteristic of genetic high risk group (GHR) for schizophrenia. This study aimed to investigate the personality and the affective characteristic of GHR group for schizophrenia.
METHODS
Participants were 54 healthy controls (HC), 26 subjects with GHR for schizophrenia and 28 subjects with first episode psychosis (FEP). We performed three self-report questionnaires; NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised, State and Anger Expression Inventory and Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule.
RESULTS
The GHR group showed higher score in agreeableness item than the HC (p=0.028). In extraversion item, the FEP group showed significantly lower scores than the HC (p=0.001). The GHR group showed lower scores in neuroticism item compared with FEP group in trend level. The FEP group showed higher trait-anger, lower positive affect and higher negative affect compared with the others.
CONCLUSION
The GHR group seem to share certain vulnerable personality and affective characteristics for schizophrenia with the FEP group. On the other hands, the GHR group appeared to be more agreeable than the other groups, which might act as the compensation for other impaired functions.

Key Words: NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) · Five Factor Model (FFM) · State and Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) · Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) · Genetic High Risk (GHR) · Schizophrenia