STABILITY OF PERSONALITY-TRAITS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA AND SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER - A PILOT PROJECT

This study was performed in an effort to begin characterization of per sonality traits in schizophrenia. Specific concerns included personali ty profiles relative to normal adults, personality profile stability o ver time, and trait-state issues. The authors administered the NEO Per sonality Inventory as well as symptom ratings at two time points to 21 patients. Patients were all stabilized outpatients attending an adult continuing day treatment program and diagnosed with either schizophre nia or schizoaffective disorder. Personality profiles were determined for all patients. Compared with a normal adult sample, this sample's s cores on three out of five of the personality domains assessed were no t distinguishable from normal adults. Test-retest correlations were hi ghly significant over an average 28.2-week time interval. In general, the presence of positive symptoms did not appear related to NEO-PI sta bility, while negative symptoms did show a relationship to the stabili ty of personality profiles. These data suggest that personality profil es can be looked at in schizophrenia, that these profiles do appear st able over time, and that negative symptoms have a strong influence on profile stability and appear to be ''trait-like.''