Personality characteristics of patients with psychosis – perception of self and others

• Main Author: Emil Benedik
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Slovenian Psychologists' Association 2001-12-01
• Series: Psihološka Obzorja
• Subjects: personality disorders; self perception; perception of others; identity diffusion; psychopathology; psychosis; schizophrenia; schizoidity
• Online Access: http://psiholoska-obzorja.si/arhiv_clanki/2001_4/benedik.pdf

The Perception of Self and Other People Questionnaire has been used for assessment of differences between psychotic and other psychiatric patients (including healthy persons) according to the theory of disturbances of self and object representations. Results show that the questionnaire, which has been constructed on the basis of Kernberg's criteria for identity diffusion, has two dimensions: the first describes perception of self and primarily separates patients with (borderline) personality disorders from the healthy controls. The second one describes quality of relationships and characterises patients with psychosis, mostly schizophrenics, which have more schizoid characteristics than other patients and healthy persons. The major weakness of the study lies in the fact that usage of self-assessment inventories in psychiatry is limited because of the very nature of psychiatric illnesses.