Family Environments of Women Seeking BRCA1/BRCA2 Genetic Mutation Testing: An Exploratory Analysis

Although there is some understanding of the shared characteristics and predictors of psychological distress of women participating in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer registries, these same characteristics are only beginning to be identified in research on community women seeking genetic testing for BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutations. This study provides an initial exploration of characteristics associated with family environments for 51 community women waiting to receive such genetic testing results. Thirty-four of the 36 women classified on family environment type of the Family Environment Scale (FES) were from Personal Growth-Oriented families. Comparisons of women with and without personal cancer histories resulted in a trend for women with personal cancer histories to be classified as from Independence-Oriented families. Reported distress appears to vary for different family emphases based on family and personal cancer history. A moral-religious family emphasis consistently appeared to be associated with decreased psychological distress. Preliminary analyses comparing these community women (who were not part of a hereditary registry but were self- or physician-referred) seeking genetic testing with normal and distressed family means found that increased cohesion and expressiveness may be related to decreased conflict, indicative of potentially supportive family environments for these women. When compared with normative data, a subset consisting of the Ashkenazi Jewish women showed a trend of less cohesion than normal families, but similar cohesion levels as distressed families.     

Chinese students in Japan: The mediator and the moderator between their personality and mental health

To clarify the influence of personality traits on the psychological acculturation of Chinese international students in Japan, the present study used three structuring questions: (a) What personality trait makes the students vulnerable to psychological distress? (b) What mediates between personality and psychological distress? (c) What buffers personality from psychological distress? The study examined personality traits (Harm‐Avoidance, HA; and Self‐Directedness, SD; two dimensions of the Temperament and Character Inventory), acculturation attitudes (integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization), and the mental health (General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)‐30) of 253 Chinese students in Japan (17–30 years of age) using self‐report questionnaires. The hypotheses are: For the Chinese international students in Japan, (a) the individuals with high HA or low SD are more vulnerable to psychological distress; (b) the acculturation strategy mediates between personality (HA/SD) and mental health (GHQ); (c) social support can moderate the effect of personality on acculturation adaptation. The results show that the Chinese international students in Japan had higher GHQ scores compared to normative standards, and marginalization (a less adaptive strategy) was their second most preferred acculturation strategy, next to integration. Individuals with high HA or low SD were more likely to have a marginalization attitude and suffer from more psychological distress. The mediation effect of marginalization and the moderation effect of social support in life (SSL) between HA/SD and GHQ were confirmed. Most of the hypotheses were supported by the results. Explanations of these findings and their implication for acculturation adaptation are discussed.     

The Relationship Between Agentic and Communal Personality Traits and Psychosocial Adjustment to Breast Cancer

Agency, communion, unmitigated agency (UA), and unmitigated communion (UC) are related to psychosocial health outcomes in nonclinical and medical populations. This study examined the relationship between these personality traits and emotional and interpersonal well-being, as up to 50% of women experience difficulties in psychosocial adjustment after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Seventy-four women newly diagnosed with breast cancer completed baseline assessment measures within 2 weeks prior to their first chemotherapy treatment or at the beginning of their hormonal therapy. Findings indicate that (1) agency and UA are important correlates of emotional and interpersonal adjustment and should be considered when attempting to identify women at high risk for psychosocial distress, and (2) UC deserves increased attention in behavioral medicine research, given its strong relationship with emotional distress in a breast cancer population. Thus, evidence continues to accumulate regarding the important relationship of these personality traits to psychosocial outcomes in medical populations.     

Personality and engagement at work: the mediating role of psychological meaningfulness

In this study, we examined the associations of personality traits of the Big Five model with work engagement, and tested a theoretical model in which these associations are mediated by the positive state of psychological meaningfulness (perceptions that work is valuable and meaningful). In a sample of 238 UK working adults, we found that the personality facets assertiveness and industriousness were the strongest predictors of work engagement, and that both exhibited direct and indirect effects, mediated by psychological meaningfulness. Neuroticism demonstrated a marginal indirect association with engagement, again mediated by psychological meaningfulness. Our findings offered good support for our model, explaining a pathway from personality traits to engagement. Practical implications for management are discussed.     

Illness representations and distress in women undergoing screening for familial ovarian cancer

Women with a familial or genetic predisposition to ovarian cancer are at significantly increased risk of developing the disease, and this warrants effective risk management strategies. A clinical trial of ovarian cancer screening (OCS) is being conducted to establish the effectiveness of this risk management strategy. This article reports data from its psychological partner study which aims to evaluate the psychological effects of OCS. Leventhal's Self-Regulatory Model provided the theoretical framework for understanding emotional responses to OCS. The revised Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (IPQ-R) is based on this model and the IPQ-R, adapted to the risk of ovarian cancer, was completed by women (N?=?1999) prior to screening. The original IPQ-R factor structure was not replicated but IPQ-R variables explained 14.70% of the variance in women's ovarian cancer-specific distress after controlling for age, general anxiety and depression. Negative emotional representations of ovarian cancer risk and general anxiety were moderately associated with greater ovarian cancer-specific distress whereas cognitive illness representations were weakly related to ovarian cancer-specific distress. Further analyses of data from the ongoing psychological evaluation are needed to determine the predictive utility of IPQ-R variables in explaining distress during OCS.     

Illness perceptions and distress in women at increased risk of breast cancer

Variation in the levels of distress in women at increased risk of breast cancer has been reported, yet there is limited understanding of the factors that are associated with heightened distress in this population. This study took a theoretical approach using Leventhal's Self Regulatory Model (SRM) to understand variation in distress levels. The study examined the associations between perceptions of breast cancer and distress in women at increased risk of breast cancer, and a comparison sample with no experience of the disease in their social environment. Questionnaire data from 117 women at increased risk of breast cancer and 100 comparison women were analysed. Women at increased risk of breast cancer showed comparable levels of general distress but significantly higher levels of cancer specific distress than the comparison group. There were few differences in illness perceptions between the samples, although a number of cognitive perceptions of breast cancer were related to both general and cancer specific distress in the increased risk sample, but not in the comparison sample. The results suggest that the SRM provides a useful framework to explore the psychological response to genetic risk. Further research is required in this population to examine illness perceptions in more detail, validate quantitative measures of illness perceptions, and examine interactions between risk perception and the SRM constructs.     

A dark side of leadership: Corporate psychopathy and its influence on employee well-being and job satisfaction

Although psychopathy often is considered the most toxic of the “types” that make up the Dark Triad of personality (psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism), its role in organizational leadership is the least explored. Using the B-Scan 360, a measure of corporate psychopathy, we investigated the relationships among employees’ perceptions of psychopathic traits in their supervisors, employee psychological distress, work–family conflict, and job satisfaction. Participants in two different samples, one civic and the other financial, rated their supervisors with the B-Scan 360, and completed self-report measures of psychological distress, work–family conflict, and job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that in each sample B-Scan 360 scores of supervisors were directly and negatively related to employee job satisfaction. The two samples differed somewhat in the associations of the B-Scan 360 with employee psychological distress and work–family conflict. Overall, the results illustrate the effects of perceived psychopathic traits in supervisors on employee well-being and job-related attitudes.     

Post-traumatic Growth in Breast Cancer Survivors: New Insights into its Relationships with Well-Being and Distress

Research investigating possible relations between Post-traumatic growth (PTG) and clinical indexes—such as psychosocial distress, physical and psychological well-being—is lacking in medical settings. The aim of this study was to look into such relationships in breast cancer survivors (Bcs) and in healthy control subjects who experienced other stressful events. Sixty Bcs and 60 healthy women reporting other stressful events were compared according to the following scales: Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, Psychological Well-being Scales (PWB), Symptom Questionnaire and Psychosocial Index. Bcs reported significantly higher levels of PTG and distress, and lower levels of PWB compared to healthy women. Bcs with high levels of PTG showed increased levels of physical well-being and decreased distress. Healthy women under stressful circumstances reporting high levels of PTG showed increased levels of PWB. PTG levels were higher in Bcs and associated with decreased psychological distress and somatisation. These results carry important implications for clinical assessment, as well as for planning interventions to improve well-being and resilience in oncology.     

Illness representations and distress in women undergoing screening for familial ovarian cancer

Women with a familial or genetic predisposition to ovarian cancer are at significantly increased risk of developing the disease, and this warrants effective risk management strategies. A clinical trial of ovarian cancer screening (OCS) is being conducted to establish the effectiveness of this risk management strategy. This article reports data from its psychological partner study which aims to evaluate the psychological effects of OCS. Leventhal's Self-Regulatory Model provided the theoretical framework for understanding emotional responses to OCS. The revised Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (IPQ-R) is based on this model and the IPQ-R, adapted to the risk of ovarian cancer, was completed by women (N?=?1999) prior to screening. The original IPQ-R factor structure was not replicated but IPQ-R variables explained 14.70% of the variance in women's ovarian cancer-specific distress after controlling for age, general anxiety and depression. Negative emotional representations of ovarian cancer risk and general anxiety were moderately associated with greater ovarian cancer-specific distress whereas cognitive illness representations were weakly related to ovarian cancer-specific distress. Further analyses of data from the ongoing psychological evaluation are needed to determine the predictive utility of IPQ-R variables in explaining distress during OCS.     

Personality factors associated with psychological distress in testicular cancer survivors

The aim of this study was to investigate symptoms of anxiety and depression in testicular cancer survivors (TCSs) and to identify personality traits associated with psychological distress in these patients by means of the MMPI (Hathaway & McKinley, 1943). A total of 50 TCSs and 50 age-adjusted healthy men participated in the study, and we used the following self-report instruments: Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (Montgomery & Asberg, 1979), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (Hamilton, 1959, 1969), Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1970, 2005), and the MMPI. TCSs displayed higher rates on all psychopathology scales studied compared to controls, but the majority of the patients' scores were within the "normal range," indicating rather mild psychological distress. TCSs' MMPI profiles showed higher rates on Scales 1, 3, 6, and 9 compared to controls; and within the TCSs sample, symptoms of depression were most closely associated with Scales 3 and 5. Similarly, anxiety symptoms were mainly associated with Scale 3. These findings indicate that TCSs present mild symptoms of psychological distress, mainly anxiety and depressive symptoms, suggesting that careful assessment and consultation in TC patients is essential to help them deal with distress after treatment and to minimize possible risk factors.     

The disguise of sobriety: unveiled by alcohol in persons with an aggressive personality

This investigation examined the factor structure of 8 well-validated self-report measures that assess traits that fall under the rubric of an "aggressive personality" and then determined how those factor(s) moderated the association between alcohol intoxication and aggression. Participants were 518 (252 men and 266 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. Following the consumption of an alcoholic or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a laboratory aggression paradigm in which electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent. Aggression was operationalized as the shock intensities and durations administered to the opponent. Results demonstrated a unidimensional factor structure for the aggressive personality traits, which were then combined into a latent variable. The aggressive personality variable moderated the alcohol-aggression relation. Specifically, alcohol was significantly more likely to increase aggression in persons with higher, compared with lower, aggressive personality scores.     

Personality dimensions and emotional problems: The mediating role of irrational beliefs in Pakistani adult non‐clinical sample

This study presents the first examination of the relation between the Big Five personality traits, irrational beliefs and emotional problems in Pakistan, which is an understudied country in the psychological distress literature. A total of 195 participants (aged 25–60 years), employees at COMSATS University, completed a demographic information sheet, the Big Five Personality Questionnaire, the Irrational Belief Inventory and two subscales of the Brief Symptom Inventory including depression and anxiety. Direct effects of neuroticism, openness and conscientiousness were also observed for depression and anxiety. Structural Equation Modelling demonstrated that irrational beliefs played a significant mediating role in the relationship between neuroticism and anxiety and neuroticism and depression. The results highlight the importance of cognitive beliefs in functionally linking personality traits and emotional problems.     

Major personality traits and regulations of social behavior: Cheaters are not the same as the reckless,and you need to know who you’re dealing with

This research explores the hypothesis that major personality traits are systematically associated with social regulation response tendencies. Specifically, the adaptive function of specific traits from ‘Big-Five’ and HEXACO models were evaluated in terms of how they are understood and utilized in predicting the behaviors of others. Big-Five factors of agreeableness and conscientiousness track tendencies to obey or break social contract and precautionary rules, but not discriminatively nor as predicted. HEXACO traits, however, provided discriminative patterns of associations between personality and response tendencies (within individuals and for third-person associations, cross-culturally) in greater accord with previous work. Honesty–humility is associated with social contract behaviors and conscientiousness is associated with precaution behaviors, consistent with conceptualizations as psychological adaptations for tracking fitness-relevant individual differences.     

Predictors of relationship adjustment among couples coping with a high risk of developing breast/ovarian cancer

This study investigated the association between supportive and collaborative processes and dyadic adjustment in 94 women at increased risk of breast/ovarian cancer and their partners. Participants were recruited through two familial cancer clinics. They completed mailed, self-report questionnaires that included measures of psychological distress, dyadic adjustment (consensus, cohesion and satisfaction) and couple predictor variables (perceived support and team approach). Most couples reported average-to-high levels of consensus, cohesion and satisfaction, with a small proportion of couples (6.4%) reporting scores that reached clinically significant levels of dyadic distress. Greater perceived support was associated with better dyadic consensus and satisfaction, and dyadic cohesion and satisfaction were higher among couples who reported greater use of a team approach. General distress did not moderate the association between dyadic coping and relationship quality. There were no significant relationships between intra-couple congruence on support or team approach, and dyadic adjustment. Most couples had a functional relationship in the face of the current health stressor, although a subgroup may be at elevated risk of negative psychological consequences, including further relationship strain. The results highlight that dyadic coping strategies are important factors involved in the quality of couples' relationship following genetic counselling for breast/ovarian cancer risk.     

Personality,exercise and psychological well-being: Static relationships in the community

It is often claimed that participation in physical exercise is associated with a range of psychological benefits. In addition, certain personality traits have been linked with patterns of exercise participation. However, almost no research has examined the roles of personality, exercise, and psychological well-being in a single study. The present study examined the relationships between exercise, personality traits, and psychological health in a sample of 204 women and 48 men, recruited from health clubs and adult education classes by postal survey. Results from the women in the sample suggest that participation in physical exercise contributed only a small amount of variance (6%) on the prediction of Positive Affect. Personality factors were by far the most significant determinants of psychological well-being.     

Self-Criticism,Neediness, and Distress in the Prediction of Suicide Ideation: Results from Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies

The aim of the present study was to test whether the maladaptive personality traits of self-criticism and neediness predict suicide ideation when controlling for general distress. Further, potential interactive effects on suicide ideation of the two traits and distress were also evaluated. Two studies with nonclinical samples were conducted. The first investigation was cross-sectional and involved a final sample of 202 community adults while the second study was longitudinal with a final sample of 207 college students. Results of Study 1 demonstrated that self-criticism, but not neediness, associated with suicide ideation and, in doing so, also interacted with distress. Neediness also tended to interact with self-criticism in the prediction of suicide ideation. Results from Study 2 were similar and confirmed the Study 1 results. Changes in self-criticism, but not changes in neediness, predicted changes in suicide ideation after statistically controlling for changes in distress. Changes in the interaction between self-criticism and distress predicted changes in suicide ideation and changes in the interaction between self-criticism and neediness tended to predict changes in suicide ideation. Results are discussed with regard to their implications for psychological intervention.     

Personality Traits and Metacognitions as Predictors of Positive Mental Health in College Students

Presence and absence of both psychological distress and well-being are important in predicting life outcomes among youths. Recently, scholars have been paying increased attention to the role of positive mental health (PMH) in predicting psycho-social well-being among young people. The present study aims to test a model designed to assess the unique contribution of personality traits and metacognitions to four domains of PMH (belief-in-self, belief-in-others, emotional competence, and engaged living) among young adults. A total of 795 Italian college students participated in the study. Path analysis revealed that different personality traits were contributors to different PMH domains, and that four of the five metacognitions domains (negative beliefs about thoughts, cognitive confidence, need to control thoughts, and cognitive self-consciousness) differently predicted the four PMH domains. In conclusion it would appear that a combination of personality traits and metacognitions are differently involved in PMH domains. These should be taken into account when developing preventive programmes to promote PMH among young adults.     

Associations of temperament and personality traits with frequency of physical activity in adulthood

Temperament and physical activity (PA) have been examined in children and adolescents, but little is known about these associations in adulthood. Personality traits, however, are known to contribute to PA in adults. This study, which examined both temperament and personality characteristics at age 42 in relation to frequency of PA at age 50 (JYLS, n = 214–261), also found associations with temperament traits. Positive associations were found between Orienting sensitivity and overall PA and between Extraversion and vigorous PA among women and between low Negative affectivity and overall and vigorous PA among men. Furthermore, Orienting sensitivity and Agreeableness were associated with vigorous PA among men. Temperament and personality characteristics also showed gender-specific associations with rambling in nature and watching sports.     

Health‐relevant personality is associated with sensitivity to sound (hyperacusis)

Hyperacusis, over‐sensitivity to sounds, causes distress and disability and the etiology is not fully understood. The study aims to explore possible associations between health‐relevant personality traits and hyperacusis. Hyperacusis was assessed using the Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ), and clinical uncomfortable loudness levels (ULL). Personality was measured with the Health‐relevant Personality (HP5i) Inventory. The study sample was 348 (140 men and 208 women; age 23–71 years). Moderate correlations were found between the personality trait negative affectivity (NA; a facet of neuroticism) and dimensions of the HQ and weak correlations were found with the ULLs. Hedonic capacity (a facet of extraversion) was significantly correlated with the HQ but not with the ULLs. Impulsivity (a facet of conscientiousness) was correlated with the HQ and the ULLs. A significant difference in mean values was found in all hyperacusis measures and different levels of NA – those with higher levels displayed more severe signs of hyperacusis. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that higher levels of NA increases the odds of having hyperacusis on average 4.6 times for men and 2.4 times for women. These findings imply that health‐relevant personality traits should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment of hyperacusis.     

Birth-cohort effects in the association between personality and fertility

The present study investigated whether associations between individuals' personality traits and whether they have children have been modified by birth-cohort effects in the 20th-century United States. Participants were from the Midlife Development in the United States study (n = 6,259) and the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (n = 3,994) and were born between 1914 and 1974. Data on personality traits of the Five Factor model and fertility history were collected in adulthood. Higher levels of openness to experience in both sexes and higher levels of conscientiousness in women were associated with lower fertility, and these associations strengthened linearly as birth cohorts became younger. In the total sample, high extraversion, low neuroticism, and women's high agreeableness were associated with high fertility rate, but there were no systematic cohort effects. The fertility decisions of people with certain personality traits may be influenced by prevailing societal and cultural circumstances.