Dynamic of Change in Pathological Personality Trait Dimensions: A Latent Change Analysis Among at-Risk Women

Abstract

This study explores longitudinally a four-factor structure of pathological personality trait dimensions (PPTDs) to examine both its structural stability and intra-individual changes among PPTDs over time. Personality Disorder (PD) scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III were administered to 361 low-income women with various psychiatric conditions (drug dependence, depression), who were followed in a two-wave study over 5-years. Cross-sectional and longitudinal factor analyses outlined a robust factorial structure of PPTDs, extrinsically invariant over time, representing Negative Emotionality, Introversion, Antagonism and Impulsivity. Despite moderate rank-order stability in the PPTDs, results also indicated substantial intra-individual variability in the degree and direction of change, consistent with trajectories of change in participants' clinical diagnoses. Results are discussed in light of current debates on the structure and dynamic of pathological personality.

Keywords: Longitudinal Factor Analysis; MCMI; Pathological Personality; Personality Disorders.

Figure 1

Simple four-state diagram of transition in the DSM diagnosis groups over time. Values represent transition probabilities. The thickness of the lines is proportional to the probabilities of transition. Autoregressive arrows represent probability of stability. Transition path below .05 are not represented in the diagram.

Figure 2

Four factor model of PPTD outlying the MCMI-III PD scores. For the sake of clarity, loadings under |.25| are not represented in the model.

Figure 3

(a) Longitudinal factorial model of PPTD with loadings invariance; (b) Multivariate latent difference score model of PPTD. Negative Emot. = Negative Emotionality; LCS = Latent change scores.

Figure 3

(a) Longitudinal factorial model of PPTD with loadings invariance; (b) Multivariate latent difference score model of PPTD. Negative Emot. = Negative Emotionality; LCS = Latent change scores.