Personality Disorders and Temperament Traits in Patients with Breast Disease: Preliminary Results

Abstract

Aim of the study was to identify individual characteristics in patients with a benign or malignant breast disease diagnosis. The role of specific personality traits has been considered in the assessment of temperament and character as a predictor of a certain psychopathological state in patients with breast disease diagnosis. Participants were interviewed using a structured clinical test (SCID-II, version 2.0) disorders, and the Italian version of Akiskal's semi-structured clinical interview for temperamental profiles (TEMPS-I) after clinical breast exams and ultrasonography. All patients presented different personality disorders and heterogeneity in temperamental profiles. Of 29 patients with benign breast disease diagnosis, twelve presented histrionic, seven narcissistic, five dependent, four obsessive, two borderline, one antisocial and one paranoid personality disorder. The histrionic-narcissistic disorder is associated with benign breast disease. The three patients with malignant diagnosis presented the same temperamental profile: depressive temperament was associated with malignant breast disease diagnosis. According to recent literature personality disorders cannot influence breast cancer or its prognosis. However, a psychological consultation represent a very important step to pre-dispose specific interventions, treating psychiatric reactive comorbidities. The study shows the relevance of psychiatric counselling in breast units in the diagnostic cluster detection. Future purpose is to extend the sample and to add a follow-up evaluation.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.