This study intended to describe general personality functioning in patients with a progressive course of multiple sclerosis. 55 consecutive rehabilitation inpatients with progressive course of multiple sclerosis were assessed with a multimethod test battery: the Expanded Disability Status Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Rorschach Test administered and scored with Comprehensive System. The control group comprised 55 healthy participants with similar sociodemographic characteristics. Specific differences were found for both cognitive and affective aspects, as the patients with progressive course of multiple sclerosis had less positive self-image, less effective mediation processing, and an affective approach to reality. Present data illustrated the usefulness of examining patients with a progressive course of multiple sclerosis to identify abilities and difficulties in cognitive and affective patterns, and support better adaptation to relationships and the environment.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AmatoM. P.PonzianiG.PracucciG.BraccoL.SiracusaG., & AmaducciL. (1995) Cognitive impairment in early-onset multiple sclerosis: pattern, prediction, and impact on everyday life in a 4-year follow-up. Archives of Neurology, 52, 168–172.
2.
BeattyW. W. (1993) Cognitive and emotional disturbances in multiple sclerosis. Neurologic Clinics, 11, 189–204.
3.
BeckA. T. (1978) La depressione. Turin, Italy: Boringhieri.
BeckA. T., & SteerR. A. (1987) Beck Depression Inventory manual. New York: Psychological Corporation.
6.
BeckA. T.WardC. H.MendelsonM.MockJ., & ErbaughJ. (1961) An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561–571.
7.
BenedictR. H.PrioreR. L.MillerC.MunschauerF., & JacobsL. (2001) Personality disorder in multiple sclerosis correlates with cognitive impairment. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 13, 70–76.
8.
BertrandoP.MaffeiC., & GhezziA. (1983) A study of neuropsychological alterations in MS. Acta Psychiatrica Belgica, 83, 13–21.
9.
BihlarB., & CarlssonA. M. (2000) An exploratory study of agreement between therapists' goals and patients' problems revealed by the Rorschach. Psychotherapy Research, 10(2), 196–214.
10.
BlascovichJ., & TomakaJ. (1991) Measures of self-esteem. In RobinsonJ.ShaverP., & WringtsmanL. (Eds.), Measures of personality and social psychological attitudes. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Pp. 115–123.
11.
CavigliaG.CrisiA.AzzoniA.MazzaS., & PinkusL. (1990) The mechanisms of repression and isolation in multiple sclerosis as regulators of personality system: a clinical study. Archives Suisses de Neurologie et Psychiatrie, 141, 209–215.
12.
CharcotJ. M. (1868) Un cas de sclérose en plaques généralisée au cerveau et à la moelle épinière. Comptes Rendues de la Societè Biologique Paris, 20.
13.
DianaR.GroszA., & ManciniE. (1985) Personality aspects in multiple sclerosis. Italian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 6, 415–423.
14.
DobsonC.GoudyW. J.KeithP. M., & PowersE. (1979) Further analysis of Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale. Psychological Reports, 44, 639–641.
15.
ExnerJ. E. (1974) The Rorschach: a comprehensive system. Vol 1. New York: Wiley.
16.
ExnerJ. E. (1978) The Rorschach: a comprehensive system, current research and advanced interpretations. Vol 1. New York: Wiley.
17.
ExnerJ. E. (1986) The Rorschach: a comprehensive system. Vol 1. New York: Wiley.
18.
ExnerJ. E. (1990) A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system. Asheville, NC: Rorschach Workshops.
19.
ExnerJ. E. (1995a) The Rorschach: a comprehensive system. Vol 1. New York: Wiley.
20.
ExnerJ. E. (1995b) The Rorschach: a comprehensive system. Vol 2. New York: Wiley.
21.
ExnerJ. E., & WeinerI. B. (1982) The Rorschach: a comprehensive system. Vol 3. New York: Wiley.
22.
FeinsteinA. (1997) Multiple sclerosis, depression, and suicide. British Medical Journal, 315, 691–692.
23.
GallineckA., & KalinowskiL. B. (1958) Psychiatric aspects of multiple sclerosis. Diseases of the Nervous System, 19, 77–80.
24.
GilbertiL.CroceR., & NeriS. (1996) Multiple sclerosis and psychiatric disturbances: clinical aspects and a review of the literature. The Italian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 17, 189–191.
25.
Goldman Consensus Group. (2005) The Goldman Consensus statement on depression in multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis, 11, 328–337.
26.
GowersW. R. (1893) A manual of diseases of the central nervous system. (2nd ed.) London: Churchill.
27.
GrantI.McDonaldW. I.TrimbleM. R.SmithE., & ReedR. (1984) Deficient learning and memory in early and middle phases of multiple sclerosis. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 47, 250–255.
28.
GronnerodC. (2003) Temporal stability in the Rorschach method: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Personality Assessment, 80(3), 272–293.
29.
HamalainenP., & RuutiainenJ. (1999) Cognitive decline in multiple sclerosis. International Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 6, 51–57.
30.
HensiekA.RoxburghR., & CompstonA. (2003) Genetics of multiple sclerosis. In McDonaldW. I. & NoseworthyJ. H. (Eds.), Multiple sclerosis 2. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Science.
31.
HibbardS. (2003) A critique of Lilienfeld, et al.'s (2001) “The scientific status of projective techniques.”Journal of Personality Assessment, 80, 260–271.
32.
HutchinsonM.StackJ., & BuckleyP. (1993) Bipolar affective disorders prior to the onset of multiple sclerosis. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 88, 388–393.
33.
JoffeR. T.LippertG. P.GrayT. A.SawaG., & HorvathZ. (1987) Mood disorder and multiple sclerosis. Archives of Neurology, 44, 376–378.
34.
JohnsonS. K.DeLucaJ., & NatelsonB. H. (1996) Personality dimensions in the chronic fatigue syndrome: a comparison with multiple sclerosis and depression. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 30, 9–20.
35.
JonsonH., & OlsonU. (2001) A measure of agreement for interval or nominal multivariate observations. Education and Psychological Measurement, 61, 277–289.
36.
KaplanH. I.SadockB. J., & GrebbJ. A. (1998) Psichiatria: manuale di scienze del comportamento e psichiatria clinica. Turin, Italy: Centro Scientifico Internazionale.
37.
KorostilM., & FeinsteinA. (2007) Anxiety disorders and their clinical correlates in multiple sclerosis patients. Multiple Sclerosis, 13, 67–72.
38.
KroenckeD. C.DenneyD. R., & LynchS. G. (2001) Depression during exacerbations in multiple sclerosis: the importance of uncertainty. Multiple Sclerosis, 7, 237–242.
39.
KurtzkeJ. F. (1983) Rating neurologic impairment in multiple sclerosis: an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Neurology, 33, 1444–1452.
40.
LazzariR., & PancheriP. (1980) STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory): questionario di autovalutazione per l'ansia di stato e di trato. Florence, Italy: Organizzazioni Speciali.
41.
LisA.ParolinL.SalcuniS., & ZennaroA. (2007) Rorschach Comprehensive System data for a sample of 249 adult nonpatients from Italy. Journal of Personality Assessment, 89, 80–84.
42.
LublinF. D., & ReingoldS. C. (2003) Clinical features and subtypes of multiple sclerosis. In McDonaldW. I. & NoseworthyJ. H. (Eds.), Multiple sclerosis 2. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Science.
43.
MattlarC. E. (2003) The Rorschach Comprehensive System is reliable, valid, and cost-effective. Unpublished manuscript, Kista, Sweden.
44.
MerkelbachS.KönigJ., & SittingerH. (2003) Personality traits in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with and without fatigue experience. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 107, 195–201.
45.
MeyerG. J., & ArcherR. P. (2001) The hard science of Rorschach research: what do we know and where do we go?Psycological Assessment, 13, 486–502.
46.
MeyerG. J.FinnS. E.EydeL. D.KayG. G.MorelandK. L.DiesR. R.EismanE. J.KubiszynT. W., & ReedG. M. (2001) Psychological testing and psychological assessment: a review of evidence and issues. American Psychologist, 56, 128–165.
47.
MindenS. L. (2000) Mood disorders in multiple sclerosis: diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Neurovirology, 6, 160–167.
48.
MindenS. L., & SchifferR. B. (1990) Affective disorders in multiple sclerosis: review and recommendations for clinical research. Archives of Neurology, 47, 98–104.
49.
NunnallyS. (1978) Psychometric theory. (2nd ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill.
50.
PAR Psychological Assessment Resources. (1999) Rorschach Interpretation Assistance Program RIAP 4.01. Software by Weiner and Exner.
51.
PattenS. B.SvensonL. W., & MetzL. M. (2005) Descriptive epidemiology of affective disorders in multiple sclerosis. CNS Spectrums, 10, 365–371.
52.
PeyserJ. M.RaoS. M.La RoccaN. G., & KaplanE. (1990) Guidelines for neuropsychological research in multiple sclerosis. Archives of Neurology, 47, 94–97.
53.
PoserC. M.PatyD. W., & ScheinbergL. (1983) New diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis: guidelines for research protocols. Annals of Neurology, 13, 227–231.
54.
PrezzaM.TrombacciaF. R., & ArmentoL. (1997) La scala dell'autostima di Rosenberg: traduzione e validazione italiana. Bolletino di Psicologia Applicata, 223, 35–44.
55.
RaoS. M. (2004) Cognitive function in patients with multiple sclerosis: impairment and treatment. International Journal of Multiple Sclerosis Care, 1, 9–22.
56.
RaoS. M.LeoG. J.BernardinL., & UnverzagtF. (1991) Cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis: I. Frequency, patterns, and prediction. Neurology, 41, 685–691.
57.
RatsepT.KallasmaaT.PulverA., & Gross-PajuK. (2000) Personality as a predictor of coping efforts in patients with multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis, 6(6), 397–402.
58.
RodgersJ., & BlandR. (1996) Psychiatric manifestation of multiple sclerosis: a review. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 41, 441–445.
59.
RosatiG. (2001) The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in the world: an update. Neurological Sciences, 22, 117–139.
60.
RosenbergM. (1965) Society and the adolescent's self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univer. Press.
61.
SanavioE. (1999) I test di personalità. Bologna, Italy: II Mulino.
62.
SchubertD. S., & FoliartR. H. (1993) Increased depression in multiple sclerosis patients: a meta-analysis. Psychosomatics, 34, 124–130.
63.
SpielbergerC. D.GorsuchR. L., & LusheneR. E. (1970) Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
64.
SullivanM. J.WeinshenkerB.MikailS., & EdgleyK. (1995) Depression before and after diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis, 1, 104–108.
65.
SurridgeD. G. (1969) An investigation into some psychiatric aspects of multiple sclerosis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 115, 749–764.
66.
ViglioneD., & ExnerJ. (1983) Current research in the Comprehensive Rorschach System: advances in personality assessment. Vol 1. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
67.
WeinerI. B. (1996) Some observation on the validity of the Rorschach Inkblot Method. Psychological Assessment, 8, 206–213.
68.
WeinerI. B. (2000) Using the Rorschach properly in practice and research. Journal of Personality Assessment, 56, 435–438.
69.
WeinerI. B., & ExnerJ. (1988) Assessing readiness for termination with the Rorschach. Paper presented at the Austin Riggs Conference on Psychologial Testing and the Psychotherapeutic Process, Stockbridge, MA.
70.
WeinerI. B., & ExnerJ. (1991) Rorschach changes in long-term and short-term psychotherapy. Journal of Personality Assessment, 56, 453–465.
71.
WylieR. C. (1989) Measures of self-concept. Lincoln, NE: Univer. of Nebraska Press.
