Personality organization and anxiety symptoms: Investigating the mediation of perfectionism

IF 4.3 2区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY Comprehensive psychiatry Pub Date : 2025-02-04 DOI:10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152582

Krisztina Csáky-Pallavicini , Zsolt Horváth , Zsolt Unoka , Bernadette Kun , Zsolt Demetrovics

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background and aims

Personality functioning has increasing significance in the assessment of mental health and mental disorders. Otto Kernberg's model of personality organization is an extensively applied, theoretically grounded approach to categorizing the severity of personality impairment based on intrapsychic and interpersonal functioning. The Inventory of Personality Organization (IPO) self-report rating scale and its 16-item short version were developed to assess personality organization based on this model. This study aimed (i) to examine the factor structure of the short, 16-item version of the IPO, and (ii) to investigate the mediating effect of perfectionism on the relationship between personality organization and anxiety.

Methods

4340 individuals (mean age 37.7 years; 50.7 % females) were assessed for anxiety (Brief Symptom Inventory) and perfectionism (Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale) besides applying the 16-item IPO.

Results

A bifactor model with three specific factors showed the most optimal levels of model fit for the IPO-16. Only the general personality dysfunction factor was characterized by high levels of internal reliability. Self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism mediated the relationship between the general personality dysfunction factor and anxiety symptoms. Higher levels of GPD predicted higher rates of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism, which contributed to more severe symptoms of anxiety.

Conclusion

The IPO-16 can be usefully applied to assess a general level of personality dysfunction both in research and in clinical use.

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来源期刊

Comprehensive psychiatry 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

12.50

自引率

1.40%

发文量

审稿时长

29 days

期刊介绍： "Comprehensive Psychiatry" is an open access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the field of psychiatry and mental health. Its primary mission is to share the latest advancements in knowledge to enhance patient care and deepen the understanding of mental illnesses. The journal is supported by a diverse team of international editors and peer reviewers, ensuring the publication of high-quality research with a strong focus on clinical relevance and the implications for psychopathology. "Comprehensive Psychiatry" encourages authors to present their research in an accessible manner, facilitating engagement with clinicians, policymakers, and the broader public. By embracing an open access policy, the journal aims to maximize the global impact of its content, making it readily available to a wide audience and fostering scientific collaboration and public awareness beyond the traditional academic community. This approach is designed to promote a more inclusive and informed dialogue on mental health, contributing to the overall progress in the field.