Personality and Mental Health

Question 1

Diathesis

Answer 1

An inherent vulnerability to develop an illness

Question 2

Stress

Answer 2

Increase the risk of developing an illness

Question 3

What did Haslam (2007) suggest about the relationship between diatheses and stress?

Answer 3

The relationship is could be linear, exponential or a step change. It is unlikely to be simply additive.

Question 4

Specific Vulnerability Hypothesis (Blatt and Zuroff, 1992)

Answer 4

Diathesis may be differentially sensitive to certain types of stressors

Question 5

Stressors which are the most ______ with diathesis are more likely to cause MH difficulties

Answer 5

Congruent

Question 6

4 overlapping personality diathesis for depression according to Haslam (2007)

Answer 6

1. High Autonomy
2. Self critical personality style
3. Pessimistic explanatory style
4. High dependency

Question 7

Describe high autonomy diathesis and a domain congruent stressor

Answer 7

• Aversion for being controlled/dependent on others. Importance of self achievement.
• Indicators of personal failure

Question 8

Describe self-critical personality style and a domain congruent stressor

Answer 8

• Holds unreasonable standards of self
• negative life events which they are responsible for

Question 9

Describe pessimistic explanatory style and a domain congruent stressor

Answer 9

• Any failure or negative events attributed to personal flaws.
• negative life events which could be attributed to the self.

Question 10

Describe high dependency and a domain congruent stressor

Answer 10

• Exaggerated need for others guidance and approval
• loss and rejection

Question 11

Abela et al (2012) found mixed results in the testing of personality diathesis for depression applied to specific vulnerability hypothesis. What were 3 explanations for these inconsistent results?

Answer 11

• Little focus on protective factors, such as self-esteem
• Too much focus on individual stress rather than comparative stress
• a single stressor could have many interpretations

Question 12

How is trait Schizotypy a potential personality diathesis

Answer 12

A number of genes cause neural differences which contribute to schizotypy. Stressors mediate the manifestation of this trait.

Question 13

Ando et al. (2014) fond that trait ____ was higher in actors and comedians compared to the general population

Answer 13

schizotypy