This contribution aims at exploring dimensions, processes and developmental trajectories that are specifically related to emerging personality structure in adolescence adopting a dimensional approach. In line with contemporary developments on the conceptualization of personality disorders, the pathology of personality "grows up" during adolescence, which is indeed a particularly "sensitive" and fertile ground for this to happen. Thus, Chapter 1 (“Investigating emerging personality pathology”) presents an overview of the current state of the art on emerging (mal)adaptive personality structure in adolescence, setting the ground ready for the topics that will be further developed in the following sections. Chapter 2 (“Development of personality pathology”) continues the theoretical exploration, deepening the current debate on what the core dimensions are that define the development of personality pathology (i.e., identity formation and self and interpersonal aspects of personality functioning), as well as on how to formulate a clinically relevant description of PDs. Chapter 3 (“A dimensional approach to personality functioning”) investigate the complex yet crucial relation between maladaptive personality functioning and maladaptive personality traits, as well as potential pathological outcomes of personality pathology interpreted from a dimensional perspective (Study 1). Furthermore, as an exclusively categorical approach has been adopted to study a crucial and clinically relevant topic as is the presence of non-suicidal self-injury behaviors (NSSI) and its association with personality pathology, Study 2 considers whether and which dimensions of maladaptive personality functioning are associated with the presence of NSSI in a community sample of adolescents. Moreover, to acknowledge the need to adopt tools that identify the dimensions and processes that are specific to emerging personality structuring in adolescence and that are sufficiently sensitive to detect sub-threshold pathology, Chapter 4 (“Assessing personality functioning”), presents the development of the Adolescent Personality Structure Questionnaire (APS-Q), a self-report measure for the assessment of personality in adolescence that takes into account, in accordance with the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders and an object relation framework, both self and interpersonal aspects of personality functioning (Study 3 and Study 4). Crucial facets of personality pathology are explored in Chapter 5 (“Facets of emerging personality functioning”), investigating which personality dimensions (such as the stability of the self-image, the quality of the relationship with one's body changes, the presence of aggression, etc.) are associated with mentalizing abilities and to identify gender specificities in these relationships (Study 5). Finally, Chapter 6 (“Developmental trajectories”), emphasizes the importance of acknowledging processes and developmental trajectories presenting preliminary data on the exploration of how different aspects of personality functioning might change over time as well as on the contribution of externalizing and internalizing problems to personality pathology (Study 6). All in all, acknowledging the contemporary debate on PDs in adolescence, the final discussion of this dissertation aims at underlining the improvements that a dimensional approach to personality functioning might offer in understanding how (mal)adaptive personality is structured in adolescence, suggesting theoretical and clinical implications for forthcoming research.
Questo contributo si propone di esplorare dimensioni, processi e traiettorie di sviluppo che sono specificamente legate alla struttura di personalità emergente in adolescenza adottando un approccio dimensionale. In linea con gli sviluppi contemporanei sulla concettualizzazione dei disturbi di personalità, la patologia di personalità "cresce" durante l'adolescenza, che è in effetti un terreno particolarmente "sensibile" e fertile perché ciò avvenga. Perciò, il capitolo 1 ("Investigating emerging personality pathology") presenta una panoramica dello stato dell'arte sulla struttura della personalità (mal)adattiva in adolescenza, preparando il terreno per gli argomenti che saranno ulteriormente sviluppati nelle sezioni seguenti. Il capitolo 2 ("Development of personality pathology") continua l'esplorazione teorica, approfondendo il dibattito attuale su quali siano le dimensioni fondamentali che definiscono lo sviluppo della patologia di personalità (cioè la formazione dell'identità e gli aspetti self e interpersonal del funzionamento), così come su come formulare una descrizione clinicamente rilevante dei disturbi di personalità. Il capitolo 3 ("A dimensional approach to personality functioning") indaga la complessa ma cruciale relazione tra funzionamento e tratti maladattivi di personalità, così come i potenziali outcomes clinici della personalità patologica interpretata secondo una prospettiva dimensionale (Studio 1). Inoltre, poiché è stato adottato un approccio esclusivamente categoriale per studiare un tema importante e clinicamente rilevante come la presenza di comportamenti autolesivi non suicidari (NSSI) e la sua associazione con la personalità patologica, lo Studio 2 considera se e quali dimensioni del funzionamento disadattivo sono associate alla presenza di NSSI in un campione non clinico di adolescenti. Inoltre, per riconoscere la necessità di adottare strumenti che identifichino le dimensioni e i processi specifici della strutturazione della personalità in adolescenza e che siano sufficientemente sensibili per rilevare patologie sotto soglia, il capitolo 4 ("Assessing personality functioning"), presenta lo sviluppo dell’Adolescent Personality Structure Questionnaire (APS-Q), una misura self-report di personalità in adolescenza che tiene conto, in accordo con il modello alternativo del DSM-5 per i disturbi di personalità e il modello teorico delle relazioni oggettuali, sia degli aspetti self che interpersonal del funzionamento della personalità (Studio 3 e Studio 4). Gli aspetti cruciali della patologia della personalità sono esplorati nel capitolo 5 ("Facets of emerging personality functioning"), indagando quali dimensioni della personalità (come la stabilità dell'immagine di sé, la qualità della relazione con i cambiamenti corporei, la presenza di aggressività, etc.) si associano alla capacità di mentalizzazione e identificando differenze di genere in questa relazione. Infine, il capitolo 6 ("Developmental trajectories"), sottolinea l'importanza di riconoscere i processi e le traiettorie di sviluppo presentando dati preliminari sull'esplorazione di come diversi aspetti del funzionamento della personalità possano cambiare nel tempo e sul contributo dell'esternalizzazione e dell'interiorizzazione dei problemi alla patologia della personalità (Studio 6). Nel complesso, tenendo conto del dibattito contemporaneo sulla personalità patologica in adolescenza, la discussione conclusiva di questa tesi mira a sottolineare i miglioramenti che un approccio dimensionale al funzionamento della personalità potrebbe offrire nel comprendere come la personalità (mal)adattiva si struttura in adolescenza, suggerendo implicazioni teoriche e cliniche per futuri studi.
(2019). EMERGING PERSONALITY STRUCTURE IN ADOLESCENCE Dimensions, processes and developmental trajectories. (Tesi di dottorato, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2019).
EMERGING PERSONALITY STRUCTURE IN ADOLESCENCE Dimensions, processes and developmental trajectories
BENZI, ILARIA MARIA ANTONIETTA
2019
Abstract
This contribution aims at exploring dimensions, processes and developmental trajectories that are specifically related to emerging personality structure in adolescence adopting a dimensional approach. In line with contemporary developments on the conceptualization of personality disorders, the pathology of personality "grows up" during adolescence, which is indeed a particularly "sensitive" and fertile ground for this to happen. Thus, Chapter 1 (“Investigating emerging personality pathology”) presents an overview of the current state of the art on emerging (mal)adaptive personality structure in adolescence, setting the ground ready for the topics that will be further developed in the following sections. Chapter 2 (“Development of personality pathology”) continues the theoretical exploration, deepening the current debate on what the core dimensions are that define the development of personality pathology (i.e., identity formation and self and interpersonal aspects of personality functioning), as well as on how to formulate a clinically relevant description of PDs. Chapter 3 (“A dimensional approach to personality functioning”) investigate the complex yet crucial relation between maladaptive personality functioning and maladaptive personality traits, as well as potential pathological outcomes of personality pathology interpreted from a dimensional perspective (Study 1). Furthermore, as an exclusively categorical approach has been adopted to study a crucial and clinically relevant topic as is the presence of non-suicidal self-injury behaviors (NSSI) and its association with personality pathology, Study 2 considers whether and which dimensions of maladaptive personality functioning are associated with the presence of NSSI in a community sample of adolescents. Moreover, to acknowledge the need to adopt tools that identify the dimensions and processes that are specific to emerging personality structuring in adolescence and that are sufficiently sensitive to detect sub-threshold pathology, Chapter 4 (“Assessing personality functioning”), presents the development of the Adolescent Personality Structure Questionnaire (APS-Q), a self-report measure for the assessment of personality in adolescence that takes into account, in accordance with the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders and an object relation framework, both self and interpersonal aspects of personality functioning (Study 3 and Study 4). Crucial facets of personality pathology are explored in Chapter 5 (“Facets of emerging personality functioning”), investigating which personality dimensions (such as the stability of the self-image, the quality of the relationship with one's body changes, the presence of aggression, etc.) are associated with mentalizing abilities and to identify gender specificities in these relationships (Study 5). Finally, Chapter 6 (“Developmental trajectories”), emphasizes the importance of acknowledging processes and developmental trajectories presenting preliminary data on the exploration of how different aspects of personality functioning might change over time as well as on the contribution of externalizing and internalizing problems to personality pathology (Study 6). All in all, acknowledging the contemporary debate on PDs in adolescence, the final discussion of this dissertation aims at underlining the improvements that a dimensional approach to personality functioning might offer in understanding how (mal)adaptive personality is structured in adolescence, suggesting theoretical and clinical implications for forthcoming research.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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