Temperament and character assessed with cloninger inventory of 174 undergraduated medical students at University of Nancy 1, France

Abstract

This medium-scale prevalence study was designed to assess for the first time in France Temperament and Character of undergraduated medical students by Cloninger Inventory (in french version). Personality Disorders (PD) are estimated by recent studies to a theoretic 13% of general population. They are identified risk factors of main psychiatric disorders, especially addictive and mood disorders. Otherwise, recent reports on medical doctors'.

(MD) health in France are pointing out the fact doctors are frequently interrupting activities for psychiatric motives. They are also asking consequently for allowance of impairment. Psychiatric motives have become the very first of MD impairment in France.

174 students have successfully completed the inventory upon 454 candidates; filling rate is 38%, sex-ratio 2.1 women for a man, mean age 22.2 years, 146 normal and 28 immature personalities are reported. Theoretical morbidity is 16.1%. Raw Novelty Seeking (NS) scores 19.5; Harm Avoidance (HA) 16.5; Reward Dependency (RD) 16.8; global maturity (SD+C) is 66.5. Both undergroups of students, PCEM2 (second-year-students) and TCMG (thesis-level-students), obtained similar results. Temperament type of a standardized french MD student is passive aggressive; Men being rather histrionic or antisocial, women being passive aggressive or passive dependent. Among immature personalities, obsessive-compulsive type is the most prevalent (10 cases). Though theoretical, prevalence of PD in MD students population seems high and clinical evaluation is recommanded on reported cases.