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Personality in Anxiety Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2020

H.S. Akiskal
H.S. Akiskal*
Affiliation:
Section of Affective Disorders, University of Tennessee, Memphis, 66 N Pauline St., Memphis, TN 38163, USA
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Summary

Patients with anxiety disorders are often described as anancastic, high in neuroticism, dependent and avoidant. These personalities overlap with those of nonbipolar depressives – in whom these disorders are less pronounced. Yet many indices of social adjustment appear less disturbed in anxiety disorders. Review of recent data front systematic investigations supports the thesis that the personality attributes observed in anxiety disorders represent either formes frustes expressions or postmorbid complications of these disorders.

Thus, neuroticism is best viewed as subclinically expressed neurosis. Likewise, anancastic traits are not easily separable from generalized anxiety disorder; the same can be said about avoidant personality and social phobia. Avoidance appears to be an inherent psychobiologic defense which is mobilized by anxiogenic situations. Dependency, which may reflect upbringing with an anxious parent, is further accentuated by handicaps imposed by the anxiety disorder.

Résumé

Résumé

Les patients souffrant de troubles anxieux sont souvent décrits comme étant compulsifs, avec un niveau élevé de «nevrotisme» et une personnalité dépendante et évitante. Les mêmes personnalités apparaissent chez les patients dépressifs non bipolaires - où les caractéristiques sont moins prononcées. Cependant, bon nombre des indices d'adaptation sociale sont moins perturbés dans les troubles anxieux.

Le «névrotisme» est considéré comme une forme fruste de la névrose d'angoisse. Il est difficile de dissocier les caractéristiques compulsives du trouble d'anxiété généralisée. C’est également le cas pour la personnalité évitante et la phobie sociale. L’évitement qui semble être une défense psychobiologique s'accentue dans les manifestations les plus aiguës des troubles anxieux. La dépendance peut être l'effet d'une éducation par un parent anxieux et peut être aggravée pur les handicaps qu’entraîne le trouble anxieux.

Keywords

troubles anxieuxpersonnalité pathologiqueévitementdéfense psychobiologiquedépendanceanxiety disorderspersonalityavoidance behaviorpsychobiologic defensedependency
Type
Research Article
Information
Psychiatry and Psychobiology , Volume 3 , Issue S2: Aspects cliniques et cognitifs de l'anxiété Paris, 28 Janvier 1988 , 1988 , pp. 161s - 166s
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 1988

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