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NCT Number: NCT05548946

A Dimensional Model for Personality Disorders in Later Life

Research on personality disorders (PDs) in older adults is currently limited. This is surprising, given that PDs are also common in this age group. Moreover, PDs show high co-morbidity with other disorders (both mental and physical) and often have a negative effect on treatment. With this in mind, the conceptualization, diagnosis and treatment of PDs in older adults represents an important task for mental health care. To this end, problems with the current classification of PDs need to be tackled, as they currently complicate this task. The current DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Edition 5) (APA, 2013) categorical PD criteria are mainly based on the living conditions of younger adults and are therefore often not suited for PD diagnosis in older adults. Currently, however, a paradigm shift is taking place from a categorical to a dimensional approach of PDs. The "Alternative Model for Personality Disorders" (AMPD) (APA, 2013) and the approach by ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision) (WHO, 2019) are examples of new, dimensional models for PDs. These models conceptualize PDs using two dimensional criteria: (1) criterion A, which captures the overall level of personality (dis)functioning and (2) criterion B which describes the PD style by pathological/maladaptive personality traits. This paradigm shift offers the possibility to give the aging context the attention it deserves, by examining the suitability of this new dimensional conceptualization of PD among older adults.

The goal of this research is to examine whether the combined AMPD and ICD-11 dimensional approach is appropriate for use in older adults. This will be done by administering instruments capturing criterion A and B in the general population in younger (18-64) and older (65 and older) adults to evaluate their age-neutrality, as well as in a clinical sample of older (65 and older) adults, to empirically evaluate its clinical relevance in later life.

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Key information

Conditions

Psychiatric Disorders Mental Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Alexianen Zorggroep Tienen, Tienen, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium

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About this study

In the current study, the investigators want to give the ageing context the attention it deserves by examining whether the AMPD and ICD-11 approach is appropriate for use in older adults. This will happen by means of two central objectives, each divided in different research questions.

  • The first central objective is the validation of the AMPD and ICD-11 conceptualization of PDs and its corresponding instruments, in older adults. Even though early research shows promising results for the use of dimensional classification in older adults, both of the questionnaires were originally developed and validated in younger adult samples. Therefore, this research is interested in the examination of the model and its corresponding instruments in older adults. The two instruments that will be used in the study are the Level of Personality Functioning Scale - Brief Version 2.0 (LPFS-BF 2.0) (Weekers et al., 2018) and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 - Brief Version Modified (PID-5-BF+M) (Bach et al., 2020), which measure criterion A and criterion B, respectively. In this study, the abbreviated version of both questionnaires were chosen, in order not to unnecessarily burden the older participants.

Firstly, the construct validity of the questionnaires in the general population will be examined. Then, the age-neutrality of the questionnaires (i.e. to what extent younger and older adults having the same degree of personality pathology have the same probability of endorsing related items on the questionnaires) will be investigated. In case non-age-neutral items appear, the investigators will adjust these to obtain age-neutrality. This first research question will occur in the general population. After age neutrality has been demonstrated (possibly after adjustments of the questionnaires), the instrument will be applied in the clinical institutions to evaluate the rest of the research questions. In the clinical population, the construct validity of the questionnaires will be investigated. Construct validity will be evaluated by examining the factor structure of the questionnaires and correlations with other measures of psychopathology (e.g. symptoms of depression and anxiety measured by Brief Symptom Inventory or SCL-90-R). Furthermore, the clinical utility of the questionnaires will be investigated, by examining their ability to distinguish individuals with PDs from those without personality pathology. In addition to research on the psychometric qualities of the questionnaires, the investigators will also validate the AMPD and ICD-11 conceptualization of PDs in two criteria, in older patients by examining the incremental validity of criterion A, above and beyond criterion B. This means the investigators will determine the extent to which criterion A and criterion B can be distinguished from each other and whether they can be differentiated from each other (or in other words do not contain (too much) overlapping information).

  • The second central objective focuses on enhancing general knowledge about the structure and characteristics of PDs in older adults, by positioning PDs in a comprehensive framework of psychopathology, namely the HiTOP model (Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology) (Kotov et al., 2017). The HiTOP model is an empirical dimensional model that brings together PDs and other clinical disorders in a hierarchical structure, based on their shared transdiagnostic factors. To date, this model has not yet been investigated in older adults (Kotov et al., 2021). With this study, the proposed HiTOP structure will be tested in 65+, in order to gain more insight into the underlying transdiagnostic factors that characterize PDs in older adults, with the ultimate goal of better care and treatment tailored to the older patient.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Clinical population (inpatients and outpatients)

Inclusion criteria

  • ONLY older adults: from the age of 65
  • Dutch speaking

Exclusion criteria

(as evaluated by the psychiatrists and psychologists of the participating institutions):

  • Severe cognitive impairment (Patients who are admitted because of cognitive impairment will be excluded from the participant pool, other than this the psychiatrists and psychologists of the participating institutions will make an evaluation of the patients' cognitive capacities)
  • Acute state of mental impairment which would interfere with the reliability of the patients' responses (for example severe psychosis), as evaluated by the psychiatrists and psychologist of the participating institutions.

Treatment and study plan

PID-5-BF+M and LPFS-BF 2.0 (self-report questionnaires)

Other

All participants will be asked to fill in the PID-5-BF+M and the LPFS-BF 2.0 to examine personality disorders as defined by the AMPD and ICD-11.

PID-5-BF+M consists of 36 self-report items. It has 18 facet scales and 6 domain scales (Anankastia, Negative Affectivity, Antagonism, Disinhibition, Psychoticism and Detachment).

The LPFS-BF 2.0 has 12 items, measuring 4 domains of personality functioning (identity, intimacy, self-direction and empathy).

Secondary Questionnaires (self-report and informant questionnaires)

Other

The patients fill in a standard test battery during the first weeks of their admission in the institutions, including questionnaires and interviews. The research team will analyze the results retrospectively.

This includes:

YSQ- SF16 (Young & Brown, 1994; Pauwels et al., 2018) GPS (van Alphen et al., 2006) HoNOS 65+ (Burns et al., 1999) HAP 2.0 (Barendse & Thissen, 2006) SCL-90-R (Derogatis, 1983; Dutch version: Arrindell, & Ettema, 1975, 1986, 2005) ADP-IV (Schotte & De Doncker, 1998) CERQ (Garnefski et al., 2007) UCL (Scheurs et al., 1994; 1988) BIS/BAS Scales (Carver & White, 1994) EC Scale of the ATQ (Rothbart et al., 2000) BSI (Derogatis, 1975; Dutch version: Beurs, 2008) SIPP-SF (derived from the SIPP-118; Verheul et al., 2008) SMI (Young et al., 2008) WHO-5 (Dutch version: WHO, 1998) SQ3-SF (Young & Brown, 2005) SCID-5-P (First et al., 2017; Dutch translation: Arntz et al., 2017)

Clinical Ratings of the dimensional model

Diagnostic Test

Clinical ratings of criteria A and B will also be collected. Only a small part of the patients will be selected for this, in order to make the research more feasible. The rater (a clinician or researcher) assesses the patient (in terms of level of personality functioning and personality traits) by means of (structured) clinical interviews. Given clinical ratings of the dimensional criteria are not part of the standard care in either institution, the ratings can be conducted by the doctorandus and Master Thesis students, trained by the doctorandus (in order not to overburden the clinicians).

The clinical interviews that will be used for the ratings are:

  • The Semigestructureerd Interview voor Persoonlijkheidsfunctioneren DSM-5 (STIP) (Hutsebaut et al., 2014).
  • The Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-5 (SCID-5-AMPD) (First et al., 2018), only if a Dutch translation is available by the time of this intervention.

PID-5-BF+M and LPFS-BF 2.0 (Informant questionnaires)

Other

In the clinical population, participants will be asked to include an informant (family member, partner, friend, acquaintance), to fill in an informant version of the PID-5-BF+M and LPFS-BF 2.0 questionnaires. It is also possible for the patient to participate in the study without giving permission to include an informant. The informant will be asked to fill in the informant versions of the questionnaires, which contain the exact same items as the self-report versions, adjusted to the third person.

Primary outcomes

  1. PID-5-BF+M questionnaire

    Time frame: Throughout the patient's first weeks of being in in- or outpatient, on average 1 month after admission

    Item scores, scale scores and total scores of the questionnaire

    Items:

    • 38 items (36 original items + 2 additional items)

    Scale scores:

    • 19 personality facets (18 original facet scores + additional facet made up from the additional items) (Emotional Lability, Anxiety, Separation Insecurity, Withdrawal, Anhedonia, Intimacy Avoidance, Manipulativeness, Deceitfulness, Grandiosity, Irresponsibility, Impulsivity, Distractibility, Perfectionism, Rigidity, Orderliness, Unusual Beliefs & Experiences, Eccentricity, Perceptual Dysregulation and Perseveration)
    • 7 personality domains (6 original domains + alternative composition of the Anankastia domain)(Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition, Anankastia, Psychoticism and Anankastia by Kerber et al., 2019)

  2. LPFS-BF 2.0 questionnaire

    Time frame: Throughout the patient's first weeks of being in in- or outpatient, on average 1 month after admission

    Item scores, scale scores and total scores of the questionnaire

    Items:

    • 12 items

    Scale scores:

    • 4 domains of personality functioning (identity, intimacy, self-direction and empathy)

Secondary outcomes

  1. The PID-5-BF+M informant version questionnaire

    Time frame: Throughout the patient's first weeks of being in in- or outpatient, on average 1 month after admission

    Scale scores and total scores of the questionnaires.

    The informant versions of the questionnaires consist of the same scales as the self-report versions.

  2. LPFS-BF 2.0 informant version questionnaire

    Time frame: Throughout the patient's first weeks of being in in- or outpatient, on average 1 month after admission

    Scale scores and total scores of the questionnaires.

    The informant versions of the questionnaires consist of the same scales as the self-report versions.

  3. The PID-5-BF+M clinical rating

    Time frame: Throughout the patient's hospitalization and the study completion, on average 1 year after the start of data collection

    The total scores and scale scores of the clinical rating.

    After conducting the clinical ratings with STIP and/or SCID-5-AMPD, the rater gives a clinical rating on criterion B as defined by DSM-5:

    A description of the criterion B domains and each of the facets is given, as well as a possibility for rating, ranging from 0 (not at all descriptive) to 3 (extremely descriptive). These scores then make up the clinical scale scores and total score of The PID-5-BF+M.

  4. LPFS-BF 2.0 clinical rating result

    Time frame: Throughout the patient's hospitalization and the study completion, on average 1 year after the start of data collection

    The total scores and scale scores of the clinical rating.

    After conducting the clinical ratings with STIP and/or SCID-5-AMPD, the rater gives a clinical rating on criterion A defined by DSM-5:

    DSM-5 offers descriptions of the four dimensions of criteria A (identity, self-direction, intimacy and empathy) and asks the rater to give an assessment on a Likert-scale ranging from 0 (healthy) to 4 (severely impaired). These scores then make up the clinical scale scores and total score of the LPFS-BF 2.0.

  5. Secondary measures

    Time frame: Throughout the patient's first weeks of being in in- or outpatient, on average 1 month after admission

    The total scores and scale scores of the questionnaires.

    The scores of the secondary questionnaires will be used to examine validity research questions. A list of these instruments can be found in the section interventions.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Gina Rossi

CONTACT

[email protected]

Morag Facon

CONTACT

[email protected]

+32493596294

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel

Other

Collaborators

  • Alexianen Zorggroep Tienen
  • Fund for Scientific Research, Flanders, Belgium
  • GGZ Breburg
  • Mondriaan

Registry information

Official study title

Empirical Evaluation and Clinical Relevance of a Dimensional Model for Personality Disorders in Later Life

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Sep 22, 2022
Registry last updated
Dec 9, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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