Cesare Maffei - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Poster by Cesare Maffei
Papers by Cesare Maffei
Journal of …, 1997
Interrater reliability and internal consistency of the SCID-II 2.0 was assessed in a sample of 23... more Interrater reliability and internal consistency of the SCID-II 2.0 was assessed in a sample of 231 consecutively admitted in- and outpatients using a pairwise interview design, with randomized rater pairing and blind interview assessment. Interrater reliability coefficients ranged from .48 to .98 for categorical diagnosis (Cohen kappa), and from .90 to .98 for dimensional judgements (Intraclass correlation coefficient). Internal consistency coefficients were satisfactory (.71-.94). The results suggest that the SCID-II 2.0 has adequate interrater and internal consistency reliability.
Journal of personality …, 2006
Notwithstanding its research and clinical relevance, the dimensionality and validity of the DSM-I... more Notwithstanding its research and clinical relevance, the dimensionality and validity of the DSM-IV avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders (PDs) criteria is still a largely unexplored topic. The aim of this study was to test the factor structure for DSM-IV Cluster C PD criteria in a sample of 641 consecutively admitted outpatients. Factor analysis results suggested that avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive PDs share a common latent dimension, and supported the three-factor structure of both observer and self-report ratings of DSM-IV Cluster C PD criteria. The pattern of factor loadings, however, was different from the one expected according to the DSM-IV classification.
Minerva psichiatrica
The influence of the model of object relations on modern psychodynamic research has led to increa... more The influence of the model of object relations on modern psychodynamic research has led to increased emphasis on the importance of relations and traumatic events in the genesis of some psychic disorders, especially with regard to personality disorders. The development of axis II in the DSM-III system has increased the number of empiric studies in this field. In this paper, the Authors report data relating to a sample of 49 subjects with personality disorders (DSM-III-R) in which the presence of sexual abuse, physical maltreatment and negative family atmosphere was examined using a self-administered questionnaire (CAT). The results suggest a significant presence of these events throughout the sample and reveal a correlation between some personality disorders and specific traumatic events. It may therefore be hypothesized that the presence of these events represents an important factor from the point of treatment, both in technical and in prognostic terms.
Assessment, 2015
To assess the internal consistency, factor structure, and construct validity of the Italian trans... more To assess the internal consistency, factor structure, and construct validity of the Italian translation of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory-Short Version (YPI-S), both the YPI-S and its full version, the YPI, as well as self-reports of delinquency, aggression, and Big Five domains, were administered to two independent samples (N = 868 and N = 881) of Italian community, nonreferred adolescents. The internal consistency of the YPI-S was adequate, and confirmatory factor analyses showed a good fit of the theoretical three-factor model of the YPI-S in both samples. Hierarchical regression models suggested the same pattern of associations with self-report measures of delinquency and aggression for the YPI-S and YPI, although the YPI was a better predictor of Big Five domains than the YPI-S. The findings support the internal consistency, factor validity, and construct validity of the YPI-S.
Psychoanalytic Psychology
Journal of personality disorders
To understand the similarities and differences in personality traits and moral disengagement asso... more To understand the similarities and differences in personality traits and moral disengagement associated with pathological narcissism and psychopathy, 740 Italian active community members who voluntarily participated in the study were administered the Italian versions of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, the HEXACO Personality Inventory, and the Moral Disengagement Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that low Honesty-Humility and Antagonism (i.e., low Agreeableness) were personality traits common to both pathological narcissism and psychopathy, whereas low Conscientiousness was only related to psychopathy. Different associations with the HEXACO-PI scales and facets were observed for narcissistic grandiosity and narcissistic vulnerability, as well as for primary psychopathy and secondary psychopathy. Moral disengagement represented a common feature of pathological narcissism and psychopathy that was related to narcissistic vu...
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 2015
To assess how the maladaptive personality domains and facets that were included in the Diagnostic... more To assess how the maladaptive personality domains and facets that were included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) Alternative Model of Personality Disorders relate to adult attachment styles, 480 Italian nonclinical adults were administered the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ). To evaluate the uniqueness of the associations between the PID-5 scales and the ASQ scales, the participants were also administered the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Multiple regression analyses showed that the ASQ scales significantly predicted both PID-5 domain scales and BFI scales; however, the relationships were different both qualitatively and quantitatively. With the exception of the PID-5 risk taking scale (adjusted R = 0.02), all other PID-5 trait scales were significantly predicted by the ASQ scales, median adjusted R value = 0.25, all ps < 0.001. Our findings suggest that the maladaptive personality domains and traits listed in the DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorders show meaningful associations with adult attachment styles.
Personality and Mental Health, 2014
The major aim of this study was to evaluate the factor structure of the Italian translation of th... more The major aim of this study was to evaluate the factor structure of the Italian translation of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP) in a sample of 740 community dwelling adult participants. Hull method, minimum average partial analysis and quasi-inferential parallel analysis techniques were used to identify a three-factor solution that appeared broadly consistent with previous work. The three factors exhibited reliability coefficients >0.70, and the three-factor structure was adequately reproduced across gender, educational level and civil status strata (median congruence coefficients = 0.94, 0.93 and 0.95 respectively) and remained largely unchanged when the effect of participants' age was controlled for (median factor score correlation = 0.99). Although Factor 3 in our study was demarcated mainly by reverse-keyed items, the LSRP factors yielded meaningful relations with retrospective measures of antisocial behaviour in adolescence and HEXACO personality traits and were conceptually consistent with the triarchic model of psychopathy of Patrick, Fowles and Krueger (2009).
Schizophrenia research, Jan 4, 1999
This study aimed to clarify the structure and the etiological constituents of schizotypal disorde... more This study aimed to clarify the structure and the etiological constituents of schizotypal disorder (SPD) by directly interviewing pairs of twins. A latent class analysis was applied to each individual's outcome for specified SPD items, such that each subject's phenotype could be redefined in terms of individual probabilities of class membership. Intraclass correlations were then calculated for each twin pair, and a standard univariate twin model applied. The best latent class analysis solution encompassed a model with four latent classes (three latent classes of SPD subjects, one of non-SPD). The intraclass correlations revealed a moderate to high heritability for two out of three SPD classes and for the modal class (a class composed of subjects that possessed a conditional probability of belonging to any of the SPD classes). Model fittings revealed considerable variation in the extent to which the different classes of SPD were influenced by additive genetic constituents or ...
Background: Metacognition is a multi-facet psychological construct; deficits in metacognitive abi... more Background: Metacognition is a multi-facet psychological construct; deficits in metacognitive abilities are associated to low social functioning, low quality of life, psychopathology, and symptoms. The aim of this study was to describe and develop a valid and reliable interview for assessing metacognition. Methods: The semi-structured interview, based on the author's theory model of the metacognition construct, is described. The Metacognition Assessment Interview (MAI) is an adaptation of the Metacognition Assessment Scale (MAS) and evaluates how the subject is interviewed used metacognition during his own real life experiences elicited by the interviewer. A user manual was developed to assist the interview and scoring procedure. Results: Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis revealed preliminary evidence of a two factor-hierarchical structure, with two lower-order scales, representing the two main theoretical domains of the metacognitive function, ''the Self'' and ''the Other'', and one single higher-order scale that we labelled metacognition. Contrary to the authors' prediction the existence of the four distinct dimensions under the two domains was not confirmed. The MAI and its two domains demonstrated acceptable levels of inter-rater reliability and internal consistency. Conclusions: The MAI appears to be a promising instrument for assessing metacognition. Future psychometric validation steps and clinical directions are discussed.
Journal of personality disorders, Jan 24, 2015
In order to evaluate if measures of DSM-5 Alternative PD Model domains predicted interview-based ... more In order to evaluate if measures of DSM-5 Alternative PD Model domains predicted interview-based scores of general personality pathology when compared to self-report measures of DSM-IV Axis II/DSM-5 Section II PD criteria, 300 Italian community adults were administered the Iowa Personality Disorder Screen (IPDS) interview, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5), and the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+ (PDQ-4+). Multiple regression analyses showed that the five PID-5 domain scales collectively explained an adequate rate of the variance of the IPDS interview total score. This result was slightly lower than the amount of variance in the IPDS total score explained by the 10 PDQ-4+ scales. The PID-5 traits scales performed better than the PDQ-4+, although the difference was marginal. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the PID-5 domain and trait scales provided a moderate, but significant increase in the prediction of the general level of personality pathology abo...
Psychology, 2014
Video clips proved to effectively elicit different emotions. Hewig and colleagues (2005) develope... more Video clips proved to effectively elicit different emotions. Hewig and colleagues (2005) developed a comprehensive set collecting 20 emotional film clips and investigated the basic emotions elicited in a German sample. In this study, we tested the reproducibility of their findings in Italian nonclinical adult subjects (N = 32) examined individually in an ecological setting; moreover, the differences between presentation modalities (with and without sound) were examined. Clips were rated on 10 emotional states (serene, amused, happy, surprised, sad, scared, angry, disgusted, indignant, tense) and on two bipolar dimensions of valence and intensity. Only little differences between presentation modalities were found; stories depicted proved to be clear enough. Film clips elicited the expected emotional profiles, and their rank order for each emotion is almost comparable with the German ones. However, all the clips elicited more than one emotion: ANCOVA proved that emotions were not fully independent and specific association patterns were found. Implications are discussed in the light of the complexity of emotional activation.
Assessment, 2013
In order to assess the internal consistency, factor structure, and ability to recover DSM-IV pers... more In order to assess the internal consistency, factor structure, and ability to recover DSM-IV personality disorders (PDs) of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) scales, 710 Italian adult community dwelling volunteers were administered the Italian translation of the PID-5, as well as the Italian translation of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+ (PDQ-4+). Cronbach's alpha values were >.70 for all PID-5 facet scales and greater than .90 for all PID-5 domain scales. Parallel analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported the theoretical five-factor model of the PID-5 trait scales. Regression analyses showed that both PID-5 trait and domain scales explained a substantial amount of variance in the PDQ-4+ PD scales, with the exception of the Passive-Aggressive PD scale. When the PID-5 was administered to a second independent sample of 389 Italian adult community dwelling volunteers, the basic psychometric properties of the scale were replicated. In this second s...
Comprehensive psychiatry, 2015
A number of studies have reported data suggestive of a significant association between attention-... more A number of studies have reported data suggestive of a significant association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, the nature of this relation is not fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate if the relation between retrospectively assessed ADHD symptoms and adult BPD features is moderated by participants' gender and mediated by emotion dysregulation and impulsivity. Two hundred seventeen outpatients meeting DSM-IV criteria for at least one personality disorder (PD) consecutively admitted to the Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Unit of the Scientific Institute H San Raffaele of Milan, Italy, were administered Italian versions of the following instruments: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II), Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11). Moderation analyses revealed a sig...
Sexuality and Disability, 1993
In this study, the authors compared 2 samples of patients suffering from organic (N.29) and psych... more In this study, the authors compared 2 samples of patients suffering from organic (N.29) and psychogenic (N.52) erectile dysfunction, with the aim of identifying psychological dimensions which could differentiate between the two samples and adequate psychometric instruments to measure them. The following evaluation scales were used: Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire— Revised (PDQ-R), Symptom Check List 90 (SCL-90) and Defense Style Questionnaire—Short Form (DSQ-SF) in order to assess personality traits, psychiatric symptoms and defensive styles, respectively. PDQ-R, SCL-90 and DSQ-SF were found to be inadequate to differentiate between the two samples of psychogenically and organically impotent patients. Moving from this negative result the authors formulate some hypothesis on the possibility and the opportunity of research on this direction, and on the possible meaning of psychogenic impotence.
Sexuality and Disability, 1994
ABSTRACT It is well known in clinical practice that psychogenic impotence affects younger patient... more ABSTRACT It is well known in clinical practice that psychogenic impotence affects younger patients than organic impotence and with a more acute onset. In the present study the authors evaluated the predictive usefulness and discriminating power of the following sociodemographic and clinical variables: age, kind of onset (acute or gradual), civil status, number of partners, duration of illness. The sample was made of 133 patients suffering from erectile dysfunction for at least three months, consecutively admitted to the Multidisciplinary Centre for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Impotence of the Scientific Institute San Raffaele of Milan from May 1992 to April 1993. All patients underwent a thorough clinical and laboratory evaluation: 72 (54.5%) were psychogenic (mean age 42.6±11.2); 60 (45.5%) organic (mean age 56.3±9.8). Stepwise logistic regression model identified age and kind of onset as significant predictors of kind of impotence. According to the logistic regression classification table, sensitivity for psychogenic impotence was 778, specificity was. 750, positive predictive power was .789, and negative predictive power was .738. These results indicate that age and kind of onset proved to be significant predictors of psychogenic impotence and to have a good clinical functioning as both inclusion and exclusion criteria. These results suggest that a patient in his forties and with an acute onset of impotence should be firstly assessed from a psychological point of view; and on the opposite, a 50 year old patient with a gradual onset presents a rationale for a thorough clinical evaluation.
Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2001
The aim of the study was to evaluate the latent structure of DSM-IV schizotypal personality disor... more The aim of the study was to evaluate the latent structure of DSM-IV schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) diagnostic criteria. The sample consisted of 564 consecutively admitted inpatients and outpatients. Exploratory latent class analysis identified a four-class model as the best fitting model for DSM-IV SPD criteria. The first of the SPD latent classes was mainly characterized by odd thinking, inappropriate affect, and interpersonal features; the second class by cognitive/perceptual difficulties; the third class by paranoid features; and the fourth class by absence of SPD features. The conditional probability pattern of the fourclass solution could be safely replicated across confounder strata. Unlike previous findings, oddness, aloofness, and social withdrawal, rather than positive symptoms, best characterized SPD even in clinical samples.
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 2010
Journal of …, 1997
Interrater reliability and internal consistency of the SCID-II 2.0 was assessed in a sample of 23... more Interrater reliability and internal consistency of the SCID-II 2.0 was assessed in a sample of 231 consecutively admitted in- and outpatients using a pairwise interview design, with randomized rater pairing and blind interview assessment. Interrater reliability coefficients ranged from .48 to .98 for categorical diagnosis (Cohen kappa), and from .90 to .98 for dimensional judgements (Intraclass correlation coefficient). Internal consistency coefficients were satisfactory (.71-.94). The results suggest that the SCID-II 2.0 has adequate interrater and internal consistency reliability.
Journal of personality …, 2006
Notwithstanding its research and clinical relevance, the dimensionality and validity of the DSM-I... more Notwithstanding its research and clinical relevance, the dimensionality and validity of the DSM-IV avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders (PDs) criteria is still a largely unexplored topic. The aim of this study was to test the factor structure for DSM-IV Cluster C PD criteria in a sample of 641 consecutively admitted outpatients. Factor analysis results suggested that avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive PDs share a common latent dimension, and supported the three-factor structure of both observer and self-report ratings of DSM-IV Cluster C PD criteria. The pattern of factor loadings, however, was different from the one expected according to the DSM-IV classification.
Minerva psichiatrica
The influence of the model of object relations on modern psychodynamic research has led to increa... more The influence of the model of object relations on modern psychodynamic research has led to increased emphasis on the importance of relations and traumatic events in the genesis of some psychic disorders, especially with regard to personality disorders. The development of axis II in the DSM-III system has increased the number of empiric studies in this field. In this paper, the Authors report data relating to a sample of 49 subjects with personality disorders (DSM-III-R) in which the presence of sexual abuse, physical maltreatment and negative family atmosphere was examined using a self-administered questionnaire (CAT). The results suggest a significant presence of these events throughout the sample and reveal a correlation between some personality disorders and specific traumatic events. It may therefore be hypothesized that the presence of these events represents an important factor from the point of treatment, both in technical and in prognostic terms.
Assessment, 2015
To assess the internal consistency, factor structure, and construct validity of the Italian trans... more To assess the internal consistency, factor structure, and construct validity of the Italian translation of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory-Short Version (YPI-S), both the YPI-S and its full version, the YPI, as well as self-reports of delinquency, aggression, and Big Five domains, were administered to two independent samples (N = 868 and N = 881) of Italian community, nonreferred adolescents. The internal consistency of the YPI-S was adequate, and confirmatory factor analyses showed a good fit of the theoretical three-factor model of the YPI-S in both samples. Hierarchical regression models suggested the same pattern of associations with self-report measures of delinquency and aggression for the YPI-S and YPI, although the YPI was a better predictor of Big Five domains than the YPI-S. The findings support the internal consistency, factor validity, and construct validity of the YPI-S.
Psychoanalytic Psychology
Journal of personality disorders
To understand the similarities and differences in personality traits and moral disengagement asso... more To understand the similarities and differences in personality traits and moral disengagement associated with pathological narcissism and psychopathy, 740 Italian active community members who voluntarily participated in the study were administered the Italian versions of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, the HEXACO Personality Inventory, and the Moral Disengagement Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that low Honesty-Humility and Antagonism (i.e., low Agreeableness) were personality traits common to both pathological narcissism and psychopathy, whereas low Conscientiousness was only related to psychopathy. Different associations with the HEXACO-PI scales and facets were observed for narcissistic grandiosity and narcissistic vulnerability, as well as for primary psychopathy and secondary psychopathy. Moral disengagement represented a common feature of pathological narcissism and psychopathy that was related to narcissistic vu...
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 2015
To assess how the maladaptive personality domains and facets that were included in the Diagnostic... more To assess how the maladaptive personality domains and facets that were included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) Alternative Model of Personality Disorders relate to adult attachment styles, 480 Italian nonclinical adults were administered the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ). To evaluate the uniqueness of the associations between the PID-5 scales and the ASQ scales, the participants were also administered the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Multiple regression analyses showed that the ASQ scales significantly predicted both PID-5 domain scales and BFI scales; however, the relationships were different both qualitatively and quantitatively. With the exception of the PID-5 risk taking scale (adjusted R = 0.02), all other PID-5 trait scales were significantly predicted by the ASQ scales, median adjusted R value = 0.25, all ps < 0.001. Our findings suggest that the maladaptive personality domains and traits listed in the DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorders show meaningful associations with adult attachment styles.
Personality and Mental Health, 2014
The major aim of this study was to evaluate the factor structure of the Italian translation of th... more The major aim of this study was to evaluate the factor structure of the Italian translation of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP) in a sample of 740 community dwelling adult participants. Hull method, minimum average partial analysis and quasi-inferential parallel analysis techniques were used to identify a three-factor solution that appeared broadly consistent with previous work. The three factors exhibited reliability coefficients >0.70, and the three-factor structure was adequately reproduced across gender, educational level and civil status strata (median congruence coefficients = 0.94, 0.93 and 0.95 respectively) and remained largely unchanged when the effect of participants' age was controlled for (median factor score correlation = 0.99). Although Factor 3 in our study was demarcated mainly by reverse-keyed items, the LSRP factors yielded meaningful relations with retrospective measures of antisocial behaviour in adolescence and HEXACO personality traits and were conceptually consistent with the triarchic model of psychopathy of Patrick, Fowles and Krueger (2009).
Schizophrenia research, Jan 4, 1999
This study aimed to clarify the structure and the etiological constituents of schizotypal disorde... more This study aimed to clarify the structure and the etiological constituents of schizotypal disorder (SPD) by directly interviewing pairs of twins. A latent class analysis was applied to each individual's outcome for specified SPD items, such that each subject's phenotype could be redefined in terms of individual probabilities of class membership. Intraclass correlations were then calculated for each twin pair, and a standard univariate twin model applied. The best latent class analysis solution encompassed a model with four latent classes (three latent classes of SPD subjects, one of non-SPD). The intraclass correlations revealed a moderate to high heritability for two out of three SPD classes and for the modal class (a class composed of subjects that possessed a conditional probability of belonging to any of the SPD classes). Model fittings revealed considerable variation in the extent to which the different classes of SPD were influenced by additive genetic constituents or ...
Background: Metacognition is a multi-facet psychological construct; deficits in metacognitive abi... more Background: Metacognition is a multi-facet psychological construct; deficits in metacognitive abilities are associated to low social functioning, low quality of life, psychopathology, and symptoms. The aim of this study was to describe and develop a valid and reliable interview for assessing metacognition. Methods: The semi-structured interview, based on the author's theory model of the metacognition construct, is described. The Metacognition Assessment Interview (MAI) is an adaptation of the Metacognition Assessment Scale (MAS) and evaluates how the subject is interviewed used metacognition during his own real life experiences elicited by the interviewer. A user manual was developed to assist the interview and scoring procedure. Results: Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis revealed preliminary evidence of a two factor-hierarchical structure, with two lower-order scales, representing the two main theoretical domains of the metacognitive function, ''the Self'' and ''the Other'', and one single higher-order scale that we labelled metacognition. Contrary to the authors' prediction the existence of the four distinct dimensions under the two domains was not confirmed. The MAI and its two domains demonstrated acceptable levels of inter-rater reliability and internal consistency. Conclusions: The MAI appears to be a promising instrument for assessing metacognition. Future psychometric validation steps and clinical directions are discussed.
Journal of personality disorders, Jan 24, 2015
In order to evaluate if measures of DSM-5 Alternative PD Model domains predicted interview-based ... more In order to evaluate if measures of DSM-5 Alternative PD Model domains predicted interview-based scores of general personality pathology when compared to self-report measures of DSM-IV Axis II/DSM-5 Section II PD criteria, 300 Italian community adults were administered the Iowa Personality Disorder Screen (IPDS) interview, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5), and the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+ (PDQ-4+). Multiple regression analyses showed that the five PID-5 domain scales collectively explained an adequate rate of the variance of the IPDS interview total score. This result was slightly lower than the amount of variance in the IPDS total score explained by the 10 PDQ-4+ scales. The PID-5 traits scales performed better than the PDQ-4+, although the difference was marginal. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the PID-5 domain and trait scales provided a moderate, but significant increase in the prediction of the general level of personality pathology abo...
Psychology, 2014
Video clips proved to effectively elicit different emotions. Hewig and colleagues (2005) develope... more Video clips proved to effectively elicit different emotions. Hewig and colleagues (2005) developed a comprehensive set collecting 20 emotional film clips and investigated the basic emotions elicited in a German sample. In this study, we tested the reproducibility of their findings in Italian nonclinical adult subjects (N = 32) examined individually in an ecological setting; moreover, the differences between presentation modalities (with and without sound) were examined. Clips were rated on 10 emotional states (serene, amused, happy, surprised, sad, scared, angry, disgusted, indignant, tense) and on two bipolar dimensions of valence and intensity. Only little differences between presentation modalities were found; stories depicted proved to be clear enough. Film clips elicited the expected emotional profiles, and their rank order for each emotion is almost comparable with the German ones. However, all the clips elicited more than one emotion: ANCOVA proved that emotions were not fully independent and specific association patterns were found. Implications are discussed in the light of the complexity of emotional activation.
Assessment, 2013
In order to assess the internal consistency, factor structure, and ability to recover DSM-IV pers... more In order to assess the internal consistency, factor structure, and ability to recover DSM-IV personality disorders (PDs) of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) scales, 710 Italian adult community dwelling volunteers were administered the Italian translation of the PID-5, as well as the Italian translation of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+ (PDQ-4+). Cronbach's alpha values were >.70 for all PID-5 facet scales and greater than .90 for all PID-5 domain scales. Parallel analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported the theoretical five-factor model of the PID-5 trait scales. Regression analyses showed that both PID-5 trait and domain scales explained a substantial amount of variance in the PDQ-4+ PD scales, with the exception of the Passive-Aggressive PD scale. When the PID-5 was administered to a second independent sample of 389 Italian adult community dwelling volunteers, the basic psychometric properties of the scale were replicated. In this second s...
Comprehensive psychiatry, 2015
A number of studies have reported data suggestive of a significant association between attention-... more A number of studies have reported data suggestive of a significant association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, the nature of this relation is not fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate if the relation between retrospectively assessed ADHD symptoms and adult BPD features is moderated by participants' gender and mediated by emotion dysregulation and impulsivity. Two hundred seventeen outpatients meeting DSM-IV criteria for at least one personality disorder (PD) consecutively admitted to the Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Unit of the Scientific Institute H San Raffaele of Milan, Italy, were administered Italian versions of the following instruments: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II), Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11). Moderation analyses revealed a sig...
Sexuality and Disability, 1993
In this study, the authors compared 2 samples of patients suffering from organic (N.29) and psych... more In this study, the authors compared 2 samples of patients suffering from organic (N.29) and psychogenic (N.52) erectile dysfunction, with the aim of identifying psychological dimensions which could differentiate between the two samples and adequate psychometric instruments to measure them. The following evaluation scales were used: Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire— Revised (PDQ-R), Symptom Check List 90 (SCL-90) and Defense Style Questionnaire—Short Form (DSQ-SF) in order to assess personality traits, psychiatric symptoms and defensive styles, respectively. PDQ-R, SCL-90 and DSQ-SF were found to be inadequate to differentiate between the two samples of psychogenically and organically impotent patients. Moving from this negative result the authors formulate some hypothesis on the possibility and the opportunity of research on this direction, and on the possible meaning of psychogenic impotence.
Sexuality and Disability, 1994
ABSTRACT It is well known in clinical practice that psychogenic impotence affects younger patient... more ABSTRACT It is well known in clinical practice that psychogenic impotence affects younger patients than organic impotence and with a more acute onset. In the present study the authors evaluated the predictive usefulness and discriminating power of the following sociodemographic and clinical variables: age, kind of onset (acute or gradual), civil status, number of partners, duration of illness. The sample was made of 133 patients suffering from erectile dysfunction for at least three months, consecutively admitted to the Multidisciplinary Centre for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Impotence of the Scientific Institute San Raffaele of Milan from May 1992 to April 1993. All patients underwent a thorough clinical and laboratory evaluation: 72 (54.5%) were psychogenic (mean age 42.6±11.2); 60 (45.5%) organic (mean age 56.3±9.8). Stepwise logistic regression model identified age and kind of onset as significant predictors of kind of impotence. According to the logistic regression classification table, sensitivity for psychogenic impotence was 778, specificity was. 750, positive predictive power was .789, and negative predictive power was .738. These results indicate that age and kind of onset proved to be significant predictors of psychogenic impotence and to have a good clinical functioning as both inclusion and exclusion criteria. These results suggest that a patient in his forties and with an acute onset of impotence should be firstly assessed from a psychological point of view; and on the opposite, a 50 year old patient with a gradual onset presents a rationale for a thorough clinical evaluation.
Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2001
The aim of the study was to evaluate the latent structure of DSM-IV schizotypal personality disor... more The aim of the study was to evaluate the latent structure of DSM-IV schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) diagnostic criteria. The sample consisted of 564 consecutively admitted inpatients and outpatients. Exploratory latent class analysis identified a four-class model as the best fitting model for DSM-IV SPD criteria. The first of the SPD latent classes was mainly characterized by odd thinking, inappropriate affect, and interpersonal features; the second class by cognitive/perceptual difficulties; the third class by paranoid features; and the fourth class by absence of SPD features. The conditional probability pattern of the fourclass solution could be safely replicated across confounder strata. Unlike previous findings, oddness, aloofness, and social withdrawal, rather than positive symptoms, best characterized SPD even in clinical samples.
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 2010
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 1997
In the present study the authors evaluated the relationship between personality traits (according... more In the present study the authors evaluated the relationship between personality traits (according to DSM-III-R) and poor metabolic control in an adult onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus sample (n = 77). Personality traits were assessed with the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire--Revised. Metabolic control was evaluated through glycosilated hemoglobin (HbA1c): poor metabolic control was defined as HbA1c > or = 9% (normal values < 6.0%). Principal Component Analysis revealed three personality profiles: 'Cluster A/C Mixed', 'Cluster B Dependent' and 'Cluster B Aggressive'. Oneway ANCOVA, using sex as covariate, revealed a significant association (p = 0.01) only between poor metabolic control and Cluster B Dependent profile. No correlation was found between HbA1c and the other profiles. These data suggest that a specific personality profile is associated with poor metabolic control.