Personality disorders in older adults in mental health institutes.
Research to stepped multidimensional personality assessment.

Personality assessments are not adapted to older adults, especially not for
elderly patients in mental health institutes of old age psychiatry. Therefore
these assessments are not useful in clinical practice. However there is a lack
of specific tools for the assessment of personality disorders in older adults.
Specific aged related stress factors in older age, such as loss of health,
relations and autonomy can influence the personality. Due to personality
pathology additionally these stress factors causes problems in coping and can
cause mental health problems. The presence of a personality disorder does not
only influence the treatment of a DSM-axis-I disorder, but it also influences
the contents of coaching the (non)-professional assistants

The main reason for this research is the absence of specific personality
assessments for the elderly. Often they suffer from al lack of energy or a loss
of visual, hearing or even cognitive capabilities. Most of the elderly are not
capable of answering a lot of personality questionnaires because this it takes
to much energy for them .
This is why we would like to develop a stepped multidimensional assessment. We
propose that during part one a very short screening instrument is used. This
screening instrument is named the Gerontological Personality Scale (GPS), it is
based on the DMS IV TR Axis II guidelines. Depending on the results of the
screening it can be decided that more assessment is necessary.
The research questions:

1) Is it possible to construct a GPS consisting a good internal consistency and
test-retest reliability (r= .80) as well as a good criterion validity (r=.85)?


2) Do the CISS, NEO-FFI and VTCI have good internal consistency, test-retest
reliability and criterion validity to assess elderly patients in mental health
institutes?


3) Is it possible using the former questionnaires to develop some profile
scores for personality pathology for elderly patients in mental health
institutes?

At first the researcher will gather some demographic information from the
participants. 600 participants will be asked to fill in four personality
questionnaires: the patient part of the Gerontologic Personality Scale (GPS) ,
the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), the NEO Five Factor
Inventory (NEO - FFI) and the short version of the Temperament and Character
Inventory (VTCI).
The paticipants will be asked to fill in the same questionnaires one month
later for a follow-up measurement.
Also 600 so called infromants (this can be a spouse or a family member of the
participant or somebody who is well known by the participant) will be asked to
fill in the informant part of the GPS.

The parcipants will hardly suffer any burder or risks with participation. The
study is observational and noninvasive.