Department of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Graz (MUG), Auenbruggerplatz 3, 8036, Graz, Austria.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Graz (MUG), Graz, Austria.
Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2022 Aug;134(15-16):602-610. doi: 10.1007/s00508-021-01993-x. Epub 2022 Mar 28.
Personality functioning, also referred to as structural integration, describes basic emotion-related perception and regulation capacities directed towards the self and others. Patients with impairments of personality functioning experience difficulties in self-regulation and interpersonal relations. Although personality functioning has become increasingly important in psychotherapeutic and psychiatric diagnoses and treatment planning, there is little systematic evidence on the role of personality functioning in patients with chronic and somatic diseases. This article reviews empirical studies using standardized assessments of personality functioning in patients with chronic and somatic diseases and discusses the role of personality structure in psychosomatic medicine.
Currently, there are only a limited number of studies using standardized assessments of personality functioning in patients with chronic or somatic diseases. The available evidence points to correlations of personality functioning with pain perception and the development of chronic pain. In addition, patients with lower levels of personality functioning may have difficulties in managing chronic conditions that require enduring changes in health behavior, such as in diabetes or posttransplantation therapy.
The review suggests a systematic link between personality functioning and health behavior in patients with chronic diseases that relate to self-regulation and coping strategies. These findings underline the importance of assessing personality functioning for diagnostics and treatment planning in psychosomatic medicine. Finally, an assessment of personality functioning could be helpful in choosing specific psychotherapeutic treatment strategies; however, more empirical studies are needed to comprehensively prove these assumptions.
人格功能，也称为结构整合，描述了基本的与情绪相关的感知和自我及他人导向的调节能力。人格功能受损的患者在自我调节和人际关系方面存在困难。尽管人格功能在心理治疗和精神科诊断及治疗计划中变得越来越重要，但关于人格功能在慢性和躯体疾病患者中的作用的系统证据很少。本文综述了使用标准化人格功能评估工具评估慢性和躯体疾病患者的实证研究，并讨论了人格结构在身心医学中的作用。
目前，仅有少数研究使用标准化的人格功能评估工具评估慢性或躯体疾病患者。现有证据表明人格功能与疼痛感知和慢性疼痛的发展有关。此外，人格功能水平较低的患者在管理需要持久改变健康行为的慢性疾病方面可能存在困难，如糖尿病或移植后治疗。
综述表明，人格功能与与自我调节和应对策略相关的慢性疾病患者的健康行为之间存在系统联系。这些发现强调了在身心医学中评估人格功能对于诊断和治疗计划的重要性。最后，评估人格功能可能有助于选择特定的心理治疗策略；然而，需要更多的实证研究来全面证明这些假设。
