Personality and the latent structure of PTSD comorbidity

This study examined the structure of PTSD comorbidity and its relationship to personality in a sample of 214 veterans using data from diagnostic interviews and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire-Brief Form (MPQ-BF; Patrick, Curtin, & Tellegen, 2002). Confirmatory factor analyses supported a three factor model composed of Externalizing, Fear and Distress factors. Analyses that examined the location of borderline personality disorder revealed significant cross-loadings for this disorder on both Externalizing and Distress. Structural equation models showed trait negative emotionality to be significantly related to all three comorbidity factors whereas positive emotionality and constraint evidenced specific associations with Distress and Externalizing, respectively. These results shed new light on the location of borderline personality disorder within the internalizing/externalizing model and clarify the relative influence of broad dimensions of personality on patterns of comorbidity.

► We modeled the structure of PTSD comorbidity and its relationship to personality.
► The best fitting comorbidity model contained three factors: Externalizing, Fear and Anxious-misery.
► Trait negative emotionality was related to all three comorbidity factors.
► Positive emotionality and constraint showed specific associations with Anxious-misery and Externalizing, respectively.