Clinical Implications of Personality for Mental Health Practice

Clinical Implications of Personality for Mental Health Practice explores the importance of personality traits that shape all forms of psychopathology seen by mental health clinicians. Patients in mental health settings can have problematic personality traits or a diagnosable mental disorder or personality disorder, many of which do not respond to standard treatment. The author argues that taking personality profiles into account is essential to understanding why people have variations in emotion, cognition, and behavior. The chapters review a wide range of research on personality within a broad biopsychosocial context, including interactions between genetics, neural networks, positive and negative life experiences, and resilience. The book shows how personality profiles (using the Five Factor Model) are important for understanding a wide range of mental health conditions, and reviews the biopsychosocial model, applying its theory to personality development. It argues that certain personality traits can raise the risk of mental and personality disorders, examines how these conditions can be diagnosed, and discusses practical applications of personality theory to clinical work. Case vignettes illustrate how therapists can apply an evaluation of personality trait profiles to individualize treatment and help their patients, and—to a certain extent—modify personality. This book is essential for psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and social workers, as well as students in these fields.