Bromley Elizabeth, Johnson Jeffrey G, Cohen Patricia
Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Compr Psychiatry. 2006 Jul-Aug;47(4):315-24. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2005.11.003. Epub 2006 Apr 19.
The aim of this study was to investigate whether personality strengths during adolescence are associated with decreased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, educational or occupational problems, violent or criminal behaviors, and interpersonal difficulties during early adulthood. A representative community sample of 688 mothers from upstate New York and their offspring was interviewed in the period of 1985-1986 (mean offspring age = 16 years) and in that of 1991-1993 (mean offspring age = 22 years). Results showed that youths with numerous personality strengths at the mean age of 16 years were at a decreased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, educational and occupational problems, interpersonal difficulties, and criminal behaviors at the mean age of 22 years. These associations remained significant after controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, verbal intelligence, preexisting psychiatric disorders, and corresponding problems at the mean age of 16 years. Although youths with fewer personality strengths who experienced numerous stressful events were at elevated risk of developing psychiatric disorders during early adulthood, those with a higher number of personality strengths at the mean age of 16 years did not share this vulnerability. We conclude that personality strengths during adolescence may contribute to a decreased risk of developing a wide range of adverse outcomes during early adulthood. Systematic evaluation of character strengths may improve the clinical assessment of adolescents.
本研究的目的是调查青少年时期的人格优势是否与成年早期患精神疾病、教育或职业问题、暴力或犯罪行为以及人际困难的风险降低有关。1985 - 1986年（子代平均年龄 = 16岁）和1991 - 1993年（子代平均年龄 = 22岁）期间，对来自纽约州北部的688名母亲及其子代组成的代表性社区样本进行了访谈。结果显示，在16岁平均年龄时具有多种人格优势的青少年，在22岁平均年龄时患精神疾病、教育和职业问题、人际困难及犯罪行为的风险降低。在控制了年龄、性别、社会经济地位、言语智力、既往精神疾病以及16岁平均年龄时的相应问题后，这些关联仍然显著。虽然经历众多压力事件且人格优势较少的青少年在成年早期患精神疾病的风险较高，但在16岁平均年龄时人格优势较多的青少年不存在这种易感性。我们得出结论，青少年时期的人格优势可能有助于降低成年早期出现广泛不良后果的风险。对性格优势进行系统评估可能会改善对青少年的临床评估。
